The effect of benefit and barrier perception on individuals' colorectal cancer screening behaviors

This descriptive study was conducted from September 2023 to August 2024 in Şanlıurfa Eyyübiye Family Health Center Region No. 01. The population of the study consisted of 1834 individuals aged 50 to 70 years living in Eyyübiye Family Health Center Region No. 01, and the sample consisted of 318 individuals. For data collection, standardized mini mental tests for educated and uneducated, survey form, and perception of benefits and barriers scale for colorectal cancer screening behaviors were used. For the analysis of the data, descriptive statistics, chi square tests, t tests in independent groups, Mann Whitney U Tests, Analysis of Variance and Kruskal Wallis Analysis were performed. We obtained permission from the relevant institution, Harran University Clinical Research Ethics Committee, and the participants for the study. In the study, 18.2% of the participants stated that they had a fecal occult blood test, and 10.1% stated that they had a colonoscopy. The mean score of the individuals' perception of barriers for fecal occult blood tests in the Perception of Benefits and Barriers Scale for Colorectal Cancer Screening Behaviors was 21.18±2.75, perception of benefits 6.73±1.07 and the mean score of perception of barriers for colonoscopy was 33.29±4.63, perception of benefits 9.85±1.29. A significant difference was found between the mean scores of the participants' perception of barriers to fecal occult blood testing and perception of barriers to colonoscopy in the Perception of Benefits and Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Behaviors Scale according to the status of having fecal occult blood testing and colonoscopy (p<0.05). There was also a significant difference between having a fecal occult blood test according to age and health perception status and having a colonoscopy according to age (p<0.05). Moreover, a significant difference was detected between the educational status, and Colorectal Cancer Screening Behaviors Benefit and Barrier Perception Scale fecal occult blood test benefit sub-dimension, age, gender, educational status and fecal occult blood test barrier sub-dimension (p<0.05). The difference between the colonoscopy benefit sub-dimension of the Colorectal Cancer Screening Behaviors Benefit and Barrier Perception Scale colonoscopy benefit sub-dimension according to gender and marital status of the participants and the difference between the colonoscopy barrier sub-dimension according to age was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). Consequently, it is seen that the rate of individuals performing colorectal cancer screening behaviors and the mean scores of fecal occult blood tests and colonoscopy benefit sub-dimensions are low. It is recommended that the factors that prevent colorectal cancer screening behaviors should be determined and interventional nursing studies should be conducted to address these factors.