Myths and Common Misbeliefs About Colorectal Cancer Causation in Palestine: A National Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

PURPOSE To explore public awareness of myths around colorectal cancer (CRC) causation in Palestine and to examine factors associated with good awareness. MATERIALS AND METHODS Convenience sampling was used to recruit adult Palestinians from governmental hospitals, primary health care centers, and public spaces. Recognizing 13 myths around CRC causation was assessed using a translated-into-Arabic version of the Cancer Awareness Measure-Mythical Causes Scale. Awareness level was determined based on the number of CRC mythical causes recognized: poor (0-4), fair (5-9), and good (10-13). Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association between sociodemographic characteristics and displaying good awareness. It adjusted for age group, sex, education, occupation, monthly income, residence, marital status, having chronic diseases, being a vegetarian, knowing someone with cancer, and site of data collection. RESULTS Of 5,254 participants approached, 4,877 agreed to participate (response rate, 92.3%). A total of 4,623 questionnaires were included in the final analysis: 2,700 from the West Bank and Jerusalem (WBJ) and 1,923 from the Gaza Strip. Only 219 participants (4.7%) demonstrated good awareness of myths around CRC causation. WBJ participants were twice more likely than those from the Gaza Strip to display good recognition (5.9% v 3.1%). Male sex, living in the WBJ, and visiting hospitals were all associated with an increase in the likelihood of displaying good awareness. Conversely, knowing someone with cancer was associated with a decrease in the likelihood of displaying good awareness. Having a physical trauma was the most recognized CRC causation myth (n = 2,752, 59.5%), whereas eating food containing additives was the least (n = 456, 9.8%). CONCLUSION Only 4.7% displayed good ability to recognize myths around CRC causation. Future educational interventions are needed to help the public distinguish the evidence-based versus mythical causes of CRC.

Understanding the interplay of colorectal cancer awareness and attitudes among Palestinians: a national cross-sectional study

“…Public spaces included parks, shopping centers, places of worship, transportation stations, downtowns, and others. The goal was to increase the representativeness of the study cohort by recruiting participants from different governorates and locations [ 24 – 26 ]. In 2019, the Palestinian population aged 15 and above was estimated at 3,109,063 individuals [ 28 ].…”

“…The assessment of participants’ awareness regarding CRC signs/symptoms, risk factors, and causation myths employed a scoring system that had also been utilized in previous studies [ 24 – 26 ]. Participants were given one point for each correctly identified item.…”

“…Subsequently, a multivariable logistic regression was conducted to account for various covariates, including age, gender, education level, employment status, monthly income, marital status, place of residence, presence of a chronic disease, knowing someone with cancer, and site of data collection. This model was determined a priori based on previous studies [ 24 – 26 ]. Similar analyses were also performed to examine the association between demonstrating high awareness in each domain and showing a positive attitude toward CRC.…”

“…The awareness of CRC signs/symptoms, risk factors, and causation myths was found to be low in Palestine [ 24 – 26 ]. However, to our knowledge, no study in Palestine has investigated the relationship between CRC awareness and attitudes.…”

Myths and common misbeliefs about cervical cancer causation among Palestinian women: a national cross-sectional study

“…The public spaces included shopping centers, markets, parks, restaurants, mosques, churches, and transport networks. The data collection sites were distributed across various locations in Palestine to maximize the representativeness of the study cohort for the Palestinian community [ 13 – 15 , 19 – 27 ].…”