Adults in a high-risk area are unaware of the importance of colorectal cancer: a telephone and mail survey.
OBJECTIVE
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.
Department of Colorectal Surgery, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore.
N Y
NY
Wong
Suzanah
S
Nenny
R J
RJ
Guy
F
F
Seow-Choen
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires