The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge and associated factors regarding colorectal cancerscreening among university students in Malaysia. The questionnaire consisted of three parts: socio-demographiccharacteristics, lifestyle practice and knowledge of colorectal screening. A cross-sectional study was conductedamong 300 students (21.3±1.4 years old). The majority of the participants were Malay with a monthly familyincome of less than 5,000 Ringgit Malaysia (equal to 1,700 USD) (67.0% and 76.0%, respectively). Regardingtheir lifestyle practices, the majority were non-smokers and had never consumed alcohol (83.7%, and 88.0%,respectively). The majority of the participants had no knowledge of digital rectal examination, colonoscopy,barium enema and fecal occult blood screening (63.3%, 60.7%, 74.0% and 62.3%, respectively). Univariate andmultivariate analysis revealed that their age and the discipline which the students were studying significantlyinfluenced their level of knowledge about colorectal screening. The present study results indicate that educationcampaigns about colorectal cancer should be promoted.
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