Assessing Colorectal Cancer Knowledge Among Puerto Rican Hispanics: Implications for Cancer Prevention and Control

In Puerto Rico, colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality rates are increasing. Moreover, adherence rates to CRC screening (52.2%) are still below the goals (70.5%) established by Healthy People 2020. Lack of knowledge is described as a significant barrier to adherence to CRC screening. The aim of this study was to assess CRC knowledge and screening rates among Puerto Rican Hispanics. Participants aged 40–85 years were recruited from the internal medicine outpatient clinics at the University of Puerto Rico. Demographic characteristics and knowledge about CRC, including risk factors and CRC screening tests, were obtained through face-to-face interviews. A mean CRC knowledge score was calculated based on correct responses to 13 validated questions. Mean knowledge scores were evaluated according to demographic characteristics using the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test. A total of 101 participants were recruited with mean age of 63 (±10.6) years. Fifty-eight (58%) of participants were females, 59% reported ≥12 years of education, and 71% reported ever screening for CRC. The mean CRC knowledge score was significantly lower (p?