Does colorectal cancer risk perception predict screening behavior? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Review uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Although health behavior theories postulate that risk perception should motivate colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, this relationship is unclear. This meta-analysis aims to examine the relationship between CRC risk perception and screening behavior, while considering potential moderators and study quality. A search of six databases yielded 58 studies (63 effect sizes) that quantitatively assessed the relationship between CRC risk perception and screening behavior. Most included effect sizes (75 %) reported a positive association between CRC risk perception and screening behavior. A random effects meta-analysis yielded an overall effect size of z = 0.13 (95 % CI 0.10-0.16), which was heterogeneous (I (2) = 99 %, τ(2) = 0.01). Effect sizes from high-quality studies were significantly lower than those from lower quality studies (z = 0.02 vs. 0.16). We found a small, positive relationship between CRC risk perception and reported screening behavior, with important identified heterogeneity across moderators. Future studies should focus on high quality study design.

publication date

  • August 18, 2015

Research

keywords

  • Colorectal Neoplasms
  • Early Detection of Cancer
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC4628847

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 84946471159

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.5888/pcd9.100254

PubMed ID

  • 26280755

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 38

issue

  • 6