Adults in a High-Risk Area Are Unaware of the Importance of Colorectal Cancer

PURPOSE: There are few studies assessing public awareness of colorectal cancer even in developed countries. This questionnaire and telephone-based survey aimed to determine the degree of awareness of colorectal cancer among adults in a high-risk population with a high level of literacy. METHODS: Two thousand randomly-selected adults living in Singapore were invited to answer a questionnaire by telephone (T, n = 1,000) or by returned mail (M, n = 1,000). The questionnaire consisted of 20 questions relating to epidemiology, presentation, screening, and management of colorectal cancer. RESULTS: There was a compliance rate of 85.2 percent for telephoned subjects, but only 21.5 percent of mailed subjects returned a completed questionnaire. Only 2.7 percent of T and 1.4 percent of M named colorectal cancer as a fatal disease. Only 49.6 percent of T and 60.9 percent of M were aware that the colon and rectum are part of the intestines. A minority (T 11.7 percent, M 35.8 percent) were aware of screening as an important means against developing colorectal cancer. A large proportion (T 46.5 percent, M 34.9 percent) were unable to name even one symptom of colorectal cancer. There was low awareness of causative factors for colorectal cancer (T 39.6 percent, M 28.4 percent). A proportion (T 24.8 percent, M 28.4 percent) believed that colorectal cancer affects people less than 40 years of age. Newspapers and popular magazines exert far more influence (T 58.2 percent, M 52.1 percent) than television, the internet. or doctors in educating the public about colorectal cancer. Respondents with higher education level (junior college and above), as well as those with a positive family history, tend to score better in the knowledge section. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of colorectal cancer among the surveyed population was poor despite a relatively high incidence of the disease in Singapore. Public education regarding colorectal cancer is best done via newspapers and magazines.