Table 3.

Demographic Characteristics and Descriptive Statistics of CRC Knowledge Items for C and NC Groups

CharacteristicTotala
(n = 1,821)
Missing, %C Groupa
(n = 1,495)
NC Groupa
(n = 326)
P Value
2)
Age, mean, y66.54.766.467.1.66
Male, No. (%)1,033 (58.9)3.7861 (59.7)172 (55.5).17
Living with partner, No. (%)1,299 (71.3)4.71,110 (74.2)189 (58.0)<.001
Having ≥1 child, No. (%)1,475 (84.7)5.41,239 (86.4)236 (76.9)<.001
Living in urban area, No. (%)720 (42.4)6.8570 (40.5)150 (51.7)<.001
Educational level, No. (%)6.8.08
   Primary90 (4.7)NA68 (4.8)22 (7.6).1
   Secondary492 (26.7)NA397 (28.2)95 (32.8).34
   Vocational training610 (33.6)NA509 (36.2)101 (34.8).29
   Higher education504 (27.6)NA432 (30.7)72 (24.8).01
Insufficient financial resources, No. (%)191 (13.0)19.1140 (11.4)51 (20.6).002
Not born in the Netherlands, No. (%)125 (7.2)4.191 (6.3)34 (11.0).004
Had ≥1 CRC-related symptom at time of FIT, No. (%)622 (34.2)NA512 (34.2)110 (33.7).86
   Visible blood422 (24.5)5.3335 (23.6)87 (28.5).07
   Tenesmus176 (10.6)9.0156 (11.4)20 (6.8).02
   Stool pattern change190 (11.1)5.9171 (12.1)19 (6.4).004
   Weight loss61 (3.6)6.553 (3.8)8 (2.7).35
CRC knowledge item, No. (%)b
   CRC always causes symptoms904 (52.8)5.9700 (49.3)204 (69.4)<.001
   Positive FIT usually means cancer417 (24.3)5.8295 (20.8)122 (41.4)<.001
   Screening is meant for persons with symptoms562 (32.9)6.1414 (29.3)148 (50.2)<.001
   Negative FIT ensures absence of cancer806 (47.0)5.8659 (46.4)147 (50.0).26
   Colonoscopy has high risk of complications647 (37.8)6.0460 (32.4)187 (64.0)<.001
   Having symptoms means that cure is not possible371 (21.7)6.0269 (19.0)102 (34.7)<.001
   CRC does not develop over several yearsc933 (54.4)5.8750 (52.7)183 (62.5).002
   Removing polyps does not prevent CRCc621 (36.4)6.2436 (32.7)158 (53.9)<.001
   CRC cannot be cured, even if it is found at an early stagec373 (21.8)6.0281 (19.8)92 (31.3)<.001
   >75% of people with CRC die of it913 (53.2)5.8716 (50.4)197 (67.0)<.001
High levels of trust in ability to self-detect CRCc251 (14.6)5.8152 (10.7)99 (33.8)<.001
  • C = colonoscopy; CRC = colorectal cancer; FIT = fecal immunochemical test; NA = not applicable; NC = no colonoscopy no contraindication.

  • a Valid percentages (percentages left when missing data are excluded from the calculation) reported.

  • b No. = answers of “true” and “don’t know” combined.

  • c Questions were originally phrased positively (eg, “CRC develops over several years”) but were rephrased in the negative sense for readability.