Table 3.

Ratings of text messages by focus group participants by level of agreement

Text message	Mean*	SD
Screening for colon cancer saves lives	1.17	0.49
Seven out of ten people diagnosed with colorectal cancer often have no obvious signs and symptoms, regular screening is the key to early detection	1.24	0.53
Colorectal cancer screening is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your loved ones	1.29	0.55
Get tested! It is the single best thing you can do to prevent colorectal cancer	1.29	0.55
Don’t let fear of diagnosis stop you from getting tested, early detection is key to prevent colon cancer. Get tested today	1.29	0.55
Preventing colorectal cancer by finding it early is possible with regular screening. There are many test options, including simple, affordable tests	1.31	0.56
Screening tests can help prevent colorectal cancer or find it early, when treatment works best. Colorectal cancer screening saves lives!	1.36	0.53
Did you know that colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer among blacks?	1.41	0.63
Did you know that colorectal cancer rates are higher for blacks than whites in both men and women?	1.45	0.67
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths	1.48	0.70
Did you know that colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in both black men and women?	1.49	0.74
The National Medical Association and the American Cancer Society have collaborated to develop materials specific to African Americans that focus on prevention, early detection, and treatment of colorectal cancer	1.56	0.89
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), you should start receiving colorectal cancer screening after the age of 50	1.76	1.10

Lower mean scores indicate higher preference

SD standard deviation

^*Based on Likert scale responses: 1 = strongly agree; 2 = somewhat agree; 3 = somewhat disagree; 4 = strongly disagree