Abstract
Risk perception, knowledge, and awareness are important predictors of colorectal cancer (CRC) behavior and screening. Misperception appears to be the cause of negative CRC behaviors and refusal to be screened. Here, we systematically reviewed qualitative studies to identify common CRC misperceptions in the general population. The PubMed, Web Of Science, and Scopus databases were searched to answer the research question. Original qualitative articles in English that addressed CRC risk and/or screening were included, whereas review articles and studies on health care provider misperceptions were excluded. The appropriate Health Belief Model (HBM) domains in the included studies were identified with thematic analysis. The quality of the included studies was assessed with the critical appraisal skills program (CASP) checklist. The review included 15 qualitative studies. There were two major HBM domains for misperception of CRC risk: high perceived severity (CRC is fatal and incurable) and low perceived susceptibility (older man’s disease, asymptomatic, sexual behavior). A high perceived barrier was that screening was considered embarrassing, painful, and inappropriate, leading to screening refusal, while a high perceived severity resulted in the belief that CRC is fatal but that screening is ineffective. Identifying the most common misperceptions enables the strategic planning of HBM-based interventions, and more engaging risk communication could improve CRC prevention and control.
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We would like to thank the team for their continuous commitment and efforts in the completion of the manuscript. We also thank the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, for his endless support and motivation.
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Conceptualization, N.M. and A.M.; methodology, R.H. and A.M.; analysis, All; writing—original draft preparation, N.M.; writing—review and editing, R.H., A.M. and N.M.; visualization, A.M.; supervision, A.M and R.H. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
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Masdor, N.A., Nawi, A.M. & Hod, R. Understanding misperceptions of colorectal cancer risk and cancer screening based on the health belief model: a systematic review of qualitative literature. Curr Psychol 43, 13729–13741 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05373-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05373-8