Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Jan 1;25(1):153-158.
doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2024.25.1.153.

Knowledge and Attitudes toward Colorectal Cancer among Healthcare Workers: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Survey in Thailand

Pattama Ploysawang  1 , Paphawin Jamsri  2 , Chonticha Tipmed  2 , Kanda Seeda  1 , Parinda Pangmuang  1 , Suleeporn Sangrajrang  1
Affiliations

Knowledge and Attitudes toward Colorectal Cancer among Healthcare Workers: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Survey in Thailand

Pattama Ploysawang et al. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. .

Abstract

Background: Colorectal cancer is an important public health problem in Thailand. The health workforce is one of the key strategies to reduce the burden of cancer. They are not only involved in patient care, but they can improve public knowledge of cancer within their community. This study aimed to explore the knowledge and attitudes toward colorectal cancer among Thai healthcare workers.

Methods: A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted from October 2021 to March 2022. Convenience sampling was used to recruit study participants who worked in selected primary healthcare units or hospitals located in different regions across the country. The data on demographics and health behavior, knowledge of using the Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT), and knowledge and attitudes toward colorectal cancer were collected using self-administered questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis.

Results: A total of 300 healthcare workers were recruited in the study. The majority of participants presented a healthy lifestyle: 74% were in the healthy weight range, 68% had never consumed alcohol, and 99.3% were never smokers. More than 70% of participants provided correct answers to questions about the use of a FIT kit. The mean score for knowledge of colorectal cancer was 12.16 + 2.16 (out of 14) and 240 (80%) participants were considered to have adequate knowledge. Also, colorectal cancer knowledge was associated with age of participants (p<0.05). Most of the participants (76.2-92.3%) had positive attitudes toward colorectal cancer screening, however about half of them thought that a colonoscopy could be painful, uncomfortable, and embarrassing.

Conclusions: Overall, the majority of participants had adequate knowledge of colorectal cancer and positive attitudes toward its screening. The present study provided overview information on practical guidance for undertaking a nationwide survey in the future.

Keywords: Healthcare workers; Knowledge; Thailand; attitudes; colorectal cancer.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

All the authors declare that no conflict of interest.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Rojanamatin J, Ukranun W, Supaattagorn P, Chiawiriyabunya I, Wongsena M, Chaiwerawattana A, et al. Cancer in thailand vol. X, 2016-2018, cancer incidence in thailand, bangkok: National cancer institute, pp 10-11. [cited 1 june 2023]. Available from: http://www.Nci.Go.Th.
    1. Strategy and planning division, ministry of public health. Public health statistics a.D. 2021, causes of death, bangkok: Ministry of public health, pp 82-86. [cited 1 june 2023]. vailable from: https://spd.Moph.Go.Th/public-health-statistics.
    1. Brenner H, Chen C. The colorectal cancer epidemic: Challenges and opportunities for primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. Br J Cancer. 2018;119(7):785–92. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chan AT, Giovannucci EL. Primary prevention of colorectal cancer. Gastroenterology. 2010;138(6):2029–43. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Johnston A, Moreno P. Lifestyle modification: A primary prevention approach to colorectal cancer. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2012;6(3):196–203. - PubMed