Skip to main content
Log in

Perceptions of colorectal cancer in a socioeconomically disadvantaged population

  • Articles
  • Published:
Journal of Community Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examined 500 low socioeconomic adults' perceptions and practices regarding bowel cancer. At least 20 percent of respondents incorrectly believed homosexual men are more likely to develop bowel cancer, exercising regularly will not affect bowel cancer, bowel cancer does not run in families, and eating foods high in fat does not increase bowel cancer risks. Approximately 7 in 10 respondents did not perceive themselves as more susceptible to developing bowel cancer even though the same number of respondents acknowledged that poor people are more likely to develop bowel cancer, it will kill you. The majority of respondents did not believe that fecal occult blood tests could help save their lives if they had bowel cancer since 90 percent perceived bowel cancer as incurable even if found early. The main barriers to screening for bowel cancer identified by the respondents were: being too embarrassed to have a proctoscopic exam (77%), not wanting to know if they had bowel cancer (78%), preferring to die rather than have their bowel removed for cancer (80%), and trouble with transportation (81%). Thirty percent of the respondents had personally done a stool occult blood test and the same number claimed they had a proctoscopic exam. The results of this survey indicate that there is considerable room for improvement in knowledge, perceptions, and practices of economically disadvantaged subjects regarding bowel cancer.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. American Cancer Society.Cancer Facts & Figures—1992. Atlanta, GA.

  2. Seidman H, Mushinski NH Gelb SK, Silverberg E. Probabilities of eventually developing or dying of cancer: United States 1985.CA—Cancer J Clin, 35:36–56, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Chow WH, Devesa SS, Blot WJ. Colon cancer incidence: recent trends in the United States.Cancer Causes and Control, 2:419–425, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Byers T, Gorsky R. Estimates of costs and effects of screening for colorectal cancer in the United States.Cancer (Suppl).70:1288–1295, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  5. American Cancer Society. Guidelines for the cancer-related checkup.CA—Cancer J Clin, 30:208–215, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  6. National Cancer Institute. Working guidelines for early cancer detection: rationale and supporting evidence to decrease mortality. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1987, pp. 10–14.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Pukkala E, Teppo L. Socioeconomic status and education as risk determinants of gastrointestinal cancer.Prev Med, 15:127–138, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Pollack ES.Prognosis Among Cancer Patients in Relation to Socio-economic Level of Census Tract of Residence. Proceedings, Data Use Conference on Small Area Statistics. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1984.

  9. Freeman HP. Cancer in the socioeconomically disadvantaged.CA—Cancer J Clin, 39:266–285, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Weinrich SP, Weinrich MC. Cancer knowledge among elderly individuals. In: Ash CR (ed.).Enhancing the Practice of Cancer Nursing. New York: Raven Press, pp. 217–233.

  11. Weinrich SP, Weinrich MC, Keenan L, Boyd M. Cancer knowledge and health practices of homebound elderly persons.Adv Health Educ Curr Res, 3:191–204, 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Spector MH, Applegate WB, Olmstead SJ, DiVasto PV, Skipper B. Assessment of attitudes toward mass screening for colorectal cancer and polyps.Prev Med, 10:105–109, 1981.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Vernon SW, Acquavella JF, Yarborough CM, Hughes JI, Thar WE. Reasons for participation and nonparticipation in a colorectal cancer screening program for a cohort of high risk polypropylene workers.J Occup Med, 30:46–51, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Silman A, Mitchell P. Attitudes of non-participants in an occupational based program of screening for colorectal cancer.Community Med, 6:8–11, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Farrands PA, Hardcastle JD, Chamberlain J, Moss S. Factors affecting compliance with screening for colorectal cancer.Community Med, 6:12–19, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Neale AV, Demers RY, Herman S. Compliance with colorectal cancer screening in a high-risk occupational group.J Occup Med, 31:1007–1012, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Weinrich SP, Boyd MD, Johnson E, Frank-Stromborg M. Knowledge of colorectal cancer among older persons.Cancer Nurs, 15:322–330, 1992.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Jette AM, Cummings KM, Brock BM et al. The structure and reliability of health belief indices.Health Serv Res, 16:262–267, 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Janz NK, Becker MH. The Health Belief Model: a decade later.Health Educ Q, 11:1–48, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Macrae FA, Hill DJ, St. John JB, Ambikapathy A, Garner JF, Ballarat General Practitioner Research Group. Predicting colon cancer screening behavior from health beliefs.Prev Med, 13:115–126, 1984.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Thompson RS, Michnich ME, Gray J, Friedlander L, Gibson B. Maximizing compliance with hemoccult screening for colon cancer in clinical practice.Med Care, 24:904–914, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Polednak AP. Knowledge of colorectal cancer and use of screening tests in persons 40–74 years of age.Prev Med, 19:213–226, 1990.

    Google Scholar 

  23. American Cancer Society. Cancer of the colon and rectum: summary of a public attitude survey.CA—Cancer J Clin, 33:359–365, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

James H. Price, Ph.D., M.P.H. is a Professor of Health Promotion in the Department of Health Promotion and Human Performance at The University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Price, J.H. Perceptions of colorectal cancer in a socioeconomically disadvantaged population. J Community Health 18, 347–362 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01323966

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01323966

Keywords

Navigation