title: Attitudes to colorectal cancer screening after reading the prevention information.
abstract: Some of the biggest barriers to increase colorectal cancer screening are negative attitudes to screening tests. These negative attitudes might be evoked through reading cancer prevention information and impede the decision to get screened. Forty-two adults aged ≥50 years completed a 12-item attitude questionnaire after reading colorectal cancer prevention information. African-Americans perceived that others had higher cancer risk than themselves whereas Caucasians did not show the difference. Regardless of ethnicity and adherence to screening guidelines, no participants had strong feelings of fear and embarrassment. However, non-adherent Caucasians had higher anxiety than adherent Caucasians. The degree of negativity was not associated with intention to get screened in non-adherent participants. Adequate health literacy of participants may account for flat responses in negative attitudes. Further research in individuals with limited health literacy is recommended. Moreover, additional education about self-relevance of cancer risk is considered necessary to increase cancer awareness in African-Americans.
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Indiana University at Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN, USA. liu41@iupui.edu
authors.forename: Chiung-Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fleck
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goldfarb
authors.forename: Casey
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Porter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004522:Educational Status; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011932:Reading; D044465:White People / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult