Table 1.
Questionnaire items
| Question | No (%) |
|---|---|
| Have you ever heard of CRC? | |
| Yes | 317 (74.94) |
| No | 106 (25.06) |
| Have you ever heard of any screening tests that are used to detect colon cancer? | |
| Yes | 151 (35.78) |
| No | 271 (64.22) |
| If you answered yes to the previous question, what type of screening test have you heard of? | |
| Colonoscopy | 168 (47.59) |
| Fecal testing | 69 (19.55) |
| CT scan | 44 (12.46) |
| X-ray | 26 (7.37) |
| Blood carcinogenic test | 29 (8.22) |
| Don’t know | 167 (47.31) |
| When do you think CRC screening starts? | |
| 20 | 20 (4.73) |
| 30 | 44 (10.40) |
| 50 | 84 (19.86) |
| 70 | 0 |
| Don’t know | 275 (65.01) |
| Which of the following could prevent you from performing a screening? (more than one answer is acceptable) | |
| Fear of colonoscopy | 111 (26.81) |
| Fear of results | 60 (14.49) |
| Disgust at the thought of the procedure | 15 (3.62) |
| Cost of the procedure | 14 (3.38) |
| Absence of symptoms | 74 (17.87) |
| Nothing | 97 (23.43) |
| Don’t know | 105 (25.36) |
| Where does CRC rank among the most commonly occurring cancers in men in Saudi Arabia? First | 75 (17.73) |
| Third | 82 (19.39) |
| Seventh | 8 (1.89) |
| Tenth | 4 (0.95) |
| Don’t know | 254 (60.05) |
| Where does CRC rank among the most commonly occurring cancers in women in Saudi Arabia? | |
| First | 17 (4.02) |
| Third | 86 (20.33) |
| Fifth | 42 (9.93) |
| Seventh | 10 (2.36) |
| Don’t know | 268 (63.36) |
| What do you think are the symptoms of CRC? (more than one answer is acceptable) | |
| Blood with stool | 175 (42.07) |
| Vomiting | 53 (12.74) |
| Loss of appetite and weight | 121 (29.09) |
| Change in bowel habits | 103 (24.76) |
| Abdominal pain | 130 (31.25) |
| I Don’t know | 179 (43.03) |
| Do you think there are ways to prevent the occurrence or progression of CRC? | |
| Yes | 188 (44.44) |
| No | 235 (55.56) |
| Do you think that screening tests increase the likelihood of detecting colon cancer early? | |
| Yes | 308 (72.81) |
| No | 115 (27.19) |
| If your doctor recommended performing a colonoscopy, which would you prefer? | |
| Paying and performing colonoscopy at the earliest time possible | 302 (71.39) |
| Waiting until your free appointment | 106 (25.06) |
| I prefer not to answer | 15 (3.55) |
| Which of the following lifestyle choices increases the risk of developing CRC (more than one answer is acceptable) | |
| Smoking | 244 (59.95) |
| Alcohol consumption | 196 (48.16) |
| Eating lots of red meat | 174 (42.75) |
| Physical inactivity and decreased exercise | 167 (41.03) |
| Eating foods low in fat and with lots of fiber | 70 (17.20) |
| Excessive stress | 128 (31.45) |
| Average weight | 29 (7.13) |
| Which of the following increases the risk of CRC? (more than one answer is accepted) | |
| Age | 177 (43.70) |
| The presence of polyps in the colon | 174 (42.96) |
| Genetic mutations | 82 (20.25) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 37 (9.14) |
| Irritable bowel syndrome | 157 (38.77) |
| Previous disease (pathology) in the colon | 160 (39.51) |
| Hemorrhoids | 59 (14.57) |
| Do you think CRC starts as a benign tumor (polyp)? | |
| Yes | 149 (35.22) |
| No | 274 (64.78) |
| Do you think having a family member diagnosed with CRC increases the risk of another family member developing the disease? | |
| Yes | 177 (41.84) |
| No | 246 (58.16) |
| What do you think is the best way to look for polyps in the colon? | |
| Colonoscopy | 187 (44.21) |
| CT scan | 24 (5.67) |
| X-ray | 7 (1.65) |
| Clinical examination | 17 (4.02) |
| Don’t know | 188 (44.44) |