Knowledge and attitude of primary healthcare physicians toward colorectal cancer screening in Qassim region, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common cancer among men and the third most common cancer among women in Saudi Arabia. Screening for CRC is essential for early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment to reduce healthcare costs and mortality. Objectives: The current study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude of primary healthcare physicians toward CRC screening in the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia. Participants and Methods: A multicentric prospective, observational study was conducted among 284 primary healthcare physicians in the Qassim region. All participants completed a questionnaire that evaluated their knowledge level related to CRC. The questionnaire also included questions related to demographic data, CRC screening knowledge, and the attitude of the participants. Results: This study included 284 physicians. Their age ranged from 24 to 63 years. The majority were females (55.3%) and non-Saudi (79.2%), only 15.5% knew about the annual screening of fecal occult blood testing, and 33.8% knew about the performance of colonoscopy every 10 years, and 50.7% knew about the performance of flexible sigmoidoscopy every 5 years. The mean score of the knowledge assessment was 4.57 ± 2.23. The overall mean attitude score was found to be 5.69 ± 1.48. Physicians with Board or Ph.D. showed higher levels of positive attitude and knowledge. Conclusion: A low level of knowledge but a fair level of attitude could be noted among the study participants. We found that multiple factors, including nationality, gender, years of experience, and job title, influence the knowledge and attitude levels.