TY - JOUR
T1 - Level of colorectal cancer awareness
T2 - a cross sectional exploratory study among multi-ethnic rural population in Malaysia
AU - Su, Tin Tin
AU - Goh, Jun Yan
AU - Tan, Jackson
AU - Muhaimah, Abdul Rahim
AU - Pigeneswaren, Yoganathan
AU - Khairun, Nasirin Sallamun
AU - Normazidah, Abdul Wahab
AU - Tharisini, Devi Kunasekaran
AU - Majid, Hazreen Abd
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to acknowledge all the staff of the district health offices of the surveyed districts, all the staff of the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Malaya, the village heads in the surveyed villages and all the respondents for their cooperation and support throughout this study. The study was partly supported by University of Malaya Research Programme (RP004B-13HTM). This survey instrument (Bowel/Colorectal CAM) was developed by University College London and Cancer Research UK. It is based on a generic CAM developed by Cancer Research UK, University College London, Kings College London and Oxford University in 2007–08.
PY - 2013/8/7
Y1 - 2013/8/7
N2 - Background: This paper presents the level of colorectal cancer awareness among multi-ethnic rural population in Malaysia.Methods: A rural-based cross sectional survey was carried out in Perak state in Peninsular Malaysia in March 2011. The survey recruited a population-representative sample using multistage sampling. Altogether 2379 participants were included in this study. Validated bowel/colorectal cancer awareness measure questionnaire was used to assess the level of colorectal cancer awareness among study population. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done to identify socio-demographic variance of knowledge score on warning signs and risk factors of colorectal cancer.Results: Among respondents, 38% and 32% had zero knowledge score for warning signs and risk factors respectively. Mean knowledge score for warning signs and risk factors were 2.89 (SD 2.96) and 3.49 (SD 3.17) respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between the knowledge score of warning signs and level of confidence in detecting a warning sign. Socio-demographic characteristics and having cancer in family and friends play important role in level of awareness.Conclusions: Level of awareness on colorectal cancer warning signs and risk factors in the rural population of Malaysia is very low. Therefore, it warrants an extensive health education campaign on colorectal cancer awareness as it is one of the commonest cancer in Malaysia. Health education campaign is urgently needed because respondents would seek medical attention sooner if they are aware of this problem.
AB - Background: This paper presents the level of colorectal cancer awareness among multi-ethnic rural population in Malaysia.Methods: A rural-based cross sectional survey was carried out in Perak state in Peninsular Malaysia in March 2011. The survey recruited a population-representative sample using multistage sampling. Altogether 2379 participants were included in this study. Validated bowel/colorectal cancer awareness measure questionnaire was used to assess the level of colorectal cancer awareness among study population. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done to identify socio-demographic variance of knowledge score on warning signs and risk factors of colorectal cancer.Results: Among respondents, 38% and 32% had zero knowledge score for warning signs and risk factors respectively. Mean knowledge score for warning signs and risk factors were 2.89 (SD 2.96) and 3.49 (SD 3.17) respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between the knowledge score of warning signs and level of confidence in detecting a warning sign. Socio-demographic characteristics and having cancer in family and friends play important role in level of awareness.Conclusions: Level of awareness on colorectal cancer warning signs and risk factors in the rural population of Malaysia is very low. Therefore, it warrants an extensive health education campaign on colorectal cancer awareness as it is one of the commonest cancer in Malaysia. Health education campaign is urgently needed because respondents would seek medical attention sooner if they are aware of this problem.
KW - Bowel/colorectal CAM
KW - Cancer awareness
KW - Colorectal cancer
KW - Rural population
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84881036046
U2 - 10.1186/1471-2407-13-376
DO - 10.1186/1471-2407-13-376
M3 - Article
C2 - 23924238
AN - SCOPUS:84881036046
SN - 1471-2407
VL - 13
JO - BMC Cancer
JF - BMC Cancer
M1 - 376
ER -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being