Busbait Saleh
Department of Surgery, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Front Public Health. 2025 Jul 25;13:1601592. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1601592. eCollection 2025.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite national screening recommendations, CRC screening uptake remains low in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to identify perceived barriers to CRC screening and examine their demographic variations.
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 412 adults in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted between April 2024 and July 2024 using a self-administered questionnaire. Perceived barriers to CRC were assessed using a questionnaire adapted from prior published studies. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and logistic regression to determine demographic predictors of screening barriers.
The most frequently reported barriers clustered into three domains: Personal Fears, Lack of Knowledge, and Healthcare System Barriers. "Absence of symptoms" (61.9%) and "fear of results" (28.9%) loaded under Personal Fears; "lack of awareness" (39.1%) under Lack of Knowledge; and "insufficient public awareness campaigns" (35.7%) under Healthcare Barriers. Women more commonly reported fear-related concerns, while younger participants cited knowledge gaps and financial limitations. The three factors explained 77.6% of the total variance. Logistic regression indicated that younger age and lack of prior screening experience were significant predictors of higher perceived barriers ( < 0.05).
The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions addressing psychological concerns, increasing public awareness, and improving healthcare provider engagement. Addressing these barriers through structured awareness campaigns, provider-driven screening initiatives, and improved access to non-invasive screening options could increase CRC screening rates and early detection in Saudi Arabia.
结直肠癌（CRC）是全球癌症相关发病和死亡的主要原因。尽管有国家筛查建议，但沙特阿拉伯的CRC筛查接受率仍然很低。本研究旨在确定CRC筛查的感知障碍并检查其人口统计学差异。
在沙特阿拉伯东部省对412名成年人进行了一项横断面研究。该研究于2024年4月至2024年7月期间使用自填问卷进行。使用先前发表的研究改编的问卷评估对CRC的感知障碍。统计分析包括卡方检验、探索性因素分析（EFA）和逻辑回归，以确定筛查障碍的人口统计学预测因素。
最常报告的障碍集中在三个领域：个人恐惧、知识缺乏和医疗系统障碍。“无症状”（61.9%）和“对结果的恐惧”（28.9%）属于个人恐惧范畴；“缺乏意识”（39.1%）属于知识缺乏范畴；“公众宣传活动不足”（35.7%）属于医疗障碍范畴。女性更常报告与恐惧相关的担忧，而年轻参与者则提到知识差距和经济限制。这三个因素解释了总方差的77.6%。逻辑回归表明，年龄较小和缺乏先前的筛查经验是更高感知障碍的显著预测因素（<0.05）。
研究结果强调了有针对性的干预措施的必要性，这些措施应解决心理问题、提高公众意识并改善医疗服务提供者的参与度。通过结构化的宣传活动、提供者驱动的筛查举措以及改善非侵入性筛查选项的可及性来解决这些障碍，可以提高沙特阿拉伯的CRC筛查率和早期检测率。
