Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH.
Ministry of Health, Gaza, Palestine.
JCO Glob Oncol. 2024 Jan;10:e2300295. doi: 10.1200/GO.23.00295.
To explore public awareness of myths around colorectal cancer (CRC) causation in Palestine and to examine factors associated with good awareness.
Convenience sampling was used to recruit adult Palestinians from governmental hospitals, primary health care centers, and public spaces. Recognizing 13 myths around CRC causation was assessed using a translated-into-Arabic version of the Cancer Awareness Measure-Mythical Causes Scale. Awareness level was determined based on the number of CRC mythical causes recognized: poor (0-4), fair (5-9), and good (10-13). Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between sociodemographic characteristics and displaying good awareness. It adjusted for age group, sex, education, occupation, monthly income, residence, marital status, having chronic diseases, being a vegetarian, knowing someone with cancer, and site of data collection.
Of 5,254 participants approached, 4,877 agreed to participate (response rate, 92.3%). A total of 4,623 questionnaires were included in the final analysis: 2,700 from the West Bank and Jerusalem (WBJ) and 1,923 from the Gaza Strip. Only 219 participants (4.7%) demonstrated good awareness of myths around CRC causation. WBJ participants were twice more likely than those from the Gaza Strip to display good recognition (5.9% 3.1%). Male sex, living in the WBJ, and visiting hospitals were all associated with an increase in the likelihood of displaying good awareness. Conversely, knowing someone with cancer was associated with a decrease in the likelihood of displaying good awareness. Having a physical trauma was the most recognized CRC causation myth (n = 2,752, 59.5%), whereas eating food containing additives was the least (n = 456, 9.8%).
Only 4.7% displayed good ability to recognize myths around CRC causation. Future educational interventions are needed to help the public distinguish the evidence-based versus mythical causes of CRC.
探讨巴勒斯坦公众对结直肠癌（CRC）病因相关误区的认知，并分析与良好认知相关的因素。
采用便利抽样方法，从政府医院、初级保健中心和公共场所招募成年巴勒斯坦人。使用阿拉伯语翻译版本的癌症意识测量-神话原因量表评估对 13 种 CRC 病因相关误区的认知。根据识别出的 CRC 神话病因数量确定认知水平：差（0-4）、中（5-9）和良好（10-13）。多变量逻辑回归分析社会人口特征与表现出良好认知之间的关联。该分析调整了年龄组、性别、教育、职业、月收入、居住地、婚姻状况、患有慢性病、素食主义者、认识癌症患者和数据采集地点等因素。
在 5254 名受访者中，有 4877 名（应答率 92.3%）同意参与。最终有 4623 份问卷纳入最终分析：来自西岸和耶路撒冷（WBJ）的有 2700 份，加沙地带的有 1923 份。仅有 219 名参与者（4.7%）对 CRC 病因相关误区有较好的认知。来自 WBJ 的参与者表现出良好认知的可能性是加沙地带参与者的两倍（5.9% vs. 3.1%）。男性、居住在 WBJ 和就医均与提高表现出良好认知的可能性相关。相反，认识癌症患者与降低表现出良好认知的可能性相关。身体创伤是最被认可的 CRC 病因相关误区（n=2752，59.5%），而食用含添加剂的食物是最不被认可的 CRC 病因相关误区（n=456，9.8%）。
仅有 4.7%的参与者表现出对 CRC 病因相关误区有较好的识别能力。需要开展未来的教育干预措施，帮助公众区分 CRC 的循证病因和神话病因。
