Colorectal Cancer Screening Practices and Health Perceptions
Summary
Colorectal cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Early detection through screening programmes can substantially reduce incidence and improve survival, yet uptake remains uneven across populations. Common screening modalities include colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy and faecal blood tests, each varying in sensitivity, resource requirements and patient acceptability. Health perceptions—encompassing awareness of risk factors, perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits and barriers to screening—strongly influence individual decisions. Sociodemographic factors such as age, educational level, insurance status and family history shape both knowledge and behaviour. In many regions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, structural obstacles (limited access to trained personnel, financial cost and cultural taboos) compound personal hesitancy. Health belief frameworks have guided interventions to address fear, enhance self-efficacy and promote informed decision-making. Recent attention has also focused on early-onset disease in those under 50, prompting debate about lowering the age threshold for routine screening. Overall, an integrated approach that combines system-level policies, provider endorsement and community education is essential to increase screening coverage and to align public perceptions with evidence-based guidelines.
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Colorectal Cancer Screening Practices and Health Perceptions publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in colorectal cancer screening practices and health perceptions across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Colonoscopy: Endoscopic examination of the entire colon and rectum, allowing direct visualisation and biopsy or removal of lesions.
Faecal Occult Blood Test (FOBT): A non-invasive assay detecting hidden blood in stool samples, serving as a first-line screening tool.
Health Belief Model: A behavioural framework positing that perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits and barriers predict health actions.
Health Information Literacy: The ability to seek, understand and apply health information in order to make informed decisions.
Screening Uptake: The proportion of an eligible population that undergoes recommended screening tests within a specified timeframe.
References
- The effect of educational intervention based on health belief model on colorectal cancer screening behaviors. BMC Public Health (2024).
- Relationship between health information literacy and health promoting lifestyle among first-degree relatives of patients with colorectal cancer in China: the mediating effect of health belief. Frontiers in Public Health (2023).
- Predictors of Colon Cancer Screening Among the Saudi Population at Primary Healthcare Settings in Riyadh. Current Oncology (2025).
- Colorectal Cancer Screening Starting at Age 45 Years—Ensuring Benefits Are Realized by All. JAMA Network Open (2021).
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