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Table 4 Awareness, information sources and knowledge regarding CRC screening programme

From: The Dutch public are positive about the colorectal cancer-screening programme, but is this a well-informed opinion?

Variables

N (%)

Awarenessb

 [Q: What have you heard about the CRC screening programme?]

  General information about CRC and the CRC screening programme

993 (74)

  Information about the stool-test procedure

783 (58)

  Participating in CRC screening is your own choice

752 (56)

  What the benefits of CRC screening are

744 (55)

  That the CRC screening programme is offered by the government

703 (52)

  Information about the follow-up test (colonoscopy)

530 (39)

  What the harms and risks of CRC screening are

293 (22)

  Numerical information about CRC and the CRC screening programme

250 (18)

  Information about the stool-test quality

184 (14)

  Information about the potential costs for CRC screening participants

123 (9)

  Information about colonoscopy waiting lists

61 (4)

  None of the above

76 (6) a

Information sourcesb

 [Q: Where did you hear about the CRC screening programme?]

  Television/radio

743 (55)

  Newspaper

492 (36)

  People in my environment

416 (31)

  Online (news) websites

257 (19)

  Invitation to participate

166 (12)

  Government website

48 (4)

  Social media/online (discussion) forum

40 (3)

  General practitioner

39 (3)

  Other

65 (5) a

Self-rated knowledge about the CRC screening programmea,d

 No or little knowledge (score <3)

594 (35)

 Not little/not much knowledge (score = 3)

435 (26)

 Much knowledge (score >3)

650 (39)

Looking at the three items of self-rated knowledge separately:

 Knowledge on benefits of CRC screening programme

  No or little knowledge (score <3)

342 (20)

  Not little/not much knowledge (score = 3)

662 (40)

  Much knowledge (score >3)

675 (40)

 Knowledge on harms and risks of CRC screening programme

  No or little knowledge (score <3)

565 (34)

  Not little/not much knowledge (score = 3)

759 (45)

  Much knowledge (score >3)

355 (21)

 Knowledge on procedure of CRC screening programme

  No or little knowledge (score <3)

499 (30)

  Not little/not much knowledge (score = 3)

632 (37)

  Much knowledge (score >3)

548 (33)

Specific multiple-choice knowledge questions about CRC screening programmea

(answered correctly)

 Approximately how many people a year in the Netherlands get colon cancer?

834 (50)

 Approximately how many people a year in the Netherlands die of colon cancer?

613 (36)

 Approximately how many colon cancer deaths a year in the Netherlands can be prevented with the CRC screening programme?

429 (26)

 What do you think is the risk of an average Dutch person getting colon cancer during their lifetime?

807 (48)

 If the stool test shows positive for blood, is it 100% certain that someone has colon cancer?

1642 (98)

 If the stool test shows negative for blood, is it 100% certain that someone does not have colon cancer?

1632 (97)

  1. aTotal n = 1679
  2. bTotal n = 1348 (those who had heard of the CRC screening programme)
  3. cTotal percentage is more than 100% because multiple answers were possible
  4. dMinimum score: 1, maximum score: 5