Colon cancer information sources utilized among colorectal cancer survivors and the general population: Findings from the North Carolina Strategies to Improve Diet, Exercise, and Screening (NC STRIDES) study

Background: The objective of this study was to examine differences in the use of colon cancer information sources among adult colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors and the general population participating in the North Carolina Strategies to Improve Diet, Exercise, and Screening (NC STRIDES) study.

Methods: Analyses included a total of N=552 participants (N=192 CRC survivors, N=360 general population). Respondents were asked the open-ended question, “Now can you tell me where you saw or heard or read about colon cancer?” Bivariate analyses were conducted to examine differences in sources among CRC survivors and the general population and by demographics using t-tests and Fisher's exact tests of significance.

Results: The most prevalent colon cancer information sources reported by both CRC survivors and the general population included: television (29.7%), doctors or health care providers (26.8%), magazines (23.4%), newspapers (16.3%), brochures or pamphlets (13.0%), and family or friends (7.4%). Cancer survivors reported seeing, hearing or reading about colon cancer on the television more often than the general population (35.9% versus 26.4%, p <0.05). Compared to CRC survivors, the general population more often reported family or friends as a source of colon cancer information (10.3% versus 2.1%, p <0.05). There were no significant relationships between demographics and identified colon cancer information sources.

Conclusions: Both CRC survivors and those without a history of cancer identified similar sources of colon cancer information. These findings have implications for selecting appropriate information channels to effectively disseminate communication messages about colon cancer to CRC survivors and the general population.