Cognition of the Warning Symptoms and Risk Factors for Cancer Among Chinese College Students: a Cross-sectional Study Based on a Summer Social Practice Activity

Overview

Journal Ann Med

Publisher Informa Healthcare

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2024 Jan 3

PMID 38170847

Authors

Lin-Sen Feng

Qing-Li Li

Qing Yang

Yu-Lu Zhu

Fu-Lin Yin

Qi-Yao Wang

Wen-Jue Zhong

Xiao-Qian Wu

Ruo-Yu Yan

Zheng-Jiao Dong

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: To investigate the cognition of cancer warning symptoms and cancer risk factors among Chinese college students, analyze the influencing factors, and explain the correlations between cancer cognition and cancer symptom discrimination, cancer fear and psychological distress.

Methods: Chinese college students were recruited in this cross-sectional study funded by a summer social practice activity in Yunnan Province, China. Cognition rates of cancer warning symptoms and cancer risk factors were evaluated using Cancer Warning symptoms Cognition Questionnaire (CWSCQ) and Cancer Risk Factors Cognition Questionnaire (CRFCQ), respectively. Factors associated with cognition of cancer warning symptoms, and factors associated with cognition of cancer risk factors were evaluated using multiple linear regression analysis. Interactions between cancer cognition, cancer symptom discrimination, psychological distress, and cancer fear were evaluated by structural equation modeling.

Results: There were 846 effective samples, with an effective rate of 80.9%. The cognition rates of cancer warning symptoms were from 47.9% to 84.4%, which were affected by cancer symptom discrimination, education, attitudes towards cancer screening, living expenses, drinking history, and ways to obtain cancer knowledge ( < 0.05). The cognition rates of cancer risk factors were from 46.3% to 91.3% in participants, which were affected by education, cancer symptom discrimination, psychological distress, attitudes towards cancer screening, life satisfaction, cancer history in relatives and friends, ways to obtain cancer knowledge, smoking history, and nursing history for cancer patients ( < 0.05). Cancer cognition and cancer symptom discrimination showed intermediary effects on psychological distress and cancer fear ( < 0.001).

Conclusions: The overall cancer cognition situation among Chinese college students is not optimistic, which highlights the necessity of improving the cancer health literacy among Chinese college students. With the increasing morbidity and mortality rates of cancer, it is necessary to raise awareness of early detection, and early treatment of cancer among the general public. Health education interventions are helpful to improve cancer health literacy.

Citing Articles

Health knowledge needs of administrative staff and related influencing factors: a cross-sectional data from Yuxi, China.

Feng L, Tang A, Wang H, Song Y, Yang Q, Xie J Sci Rep. 2024; 14(1):28916.

PMID: 39572757 PMC: 11582627. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-80427-w.

References

Huang R, Liu Q, Wang Y, Zou J, Hu L, Wang W . Awareness, attitude and barriers of colorectal cancer screening among high-risk populations in China: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2021; 11(7):e045168. PMC: 8276297. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045168. View

Dhira T, Rahman M, Sarker A, Mehareen J . Validity and reliability of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) among university students of Bangladesh. PLoS One. 2021; 16(12):e0261590. PMC: 8675645. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261590. View

Chen Y, Tong Y, Yang C, Gan Y, Sun H, Bi H . Consumption of hot beverages and foods and the risk of esophageal cancer: a meta-analysis of observational studies. BMC Cancer. 2015; 15:449. PMC: 4457273. DOI: 10.1186/s12885-015-1185-1. View

Chali K, Oljira D, Sileshi T, Mekonnen T . Knowledge on cervical cancer, attitude toward its screening, and associated factors among reproductive age women in Metu Town, Ilu Aba Bor, South West Ethiopia, 2018: community-based cross-sectional study. Cancer Rep (Hoboken). 2021; 4(5):e1382. PMC: 8552000. DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.1382. View

Chowdhury C, Dey Chowdhury A, Shahnawaz K, Markus A . Level of oral cancer awareness among Indian rural population: A possible research model using knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) intervention and its utilisation in low resource settings of LMICs. J Oral Biol Craniofac Res. 2021; 12(1):154-160. PMC: 8604810. DOI: 10.1016/j.jobcr.2021.10.008. View

Gan Y, Lao C, Chan A . Breast cancer screening behavior, attitude, barriers among middle-aged Chinese women in Macao, China. J Public Health (Oxf). 2018; 40(4):e560-e570. DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdy077. View

Cao W, Chen H, Yu Y, Li N, Chen W . Changing profiles of cancer burden worldwide and in China: a secondary analysis of the global cancer statistics 2020. Chin Med J (Engl). 2021; 134(7):783-791. PMC: 8104205. DOI: 10.1097/CM9.0000000000001474. View

Zheng R, Zhang S, Sun K, Chen R, Wang S, Li L . [Cancer statistics in China, 2016]. Zhonghua Zhong Liu Za Zhi. 2023; 45(3):212-220. DOI: 10.3760/cma.j.cn112152-20220922-00647. View

Byrd-Bredbenner C, Eck K, Quick V . Psychometric Properties of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-Mini in United States University Students. Front Psychol. 2020; 11:550533. PMC: 7541941. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.550533. View

10.

Andrici J, Eslick G . Hot Food and Beverage Consumption and the Risk of Esophageal Cancer: A Meta-Analysis. Am J Prev Med. 2015; 49(6):952-60. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.07.023. View

11.

Macke L, Schulz C, Malfertheiner P . The Fear of Gastric Cancer in Patients with Dyspepsia: Challenge in Specialist Care Gastroenterology. Dig Dis. 2021; 40(4):409-416. DOI: 10.1159/000518394. View

12.

Debnath S, Rueda R, Bansal S, Kasinath B, Sharma K, Lorenzo C . Fatigue characteristics on dialysis and non-dialysis days in patients with chronic kidney failure on maintenance hemodialysis. BMC Nephrol. 2021; 22(1):112. PMC: 7999524. DOI: 10.1186/s12882-021-02314-0. View

13.

Getaneh A, Tegene B, Belachew T . Knowledge, attitude and practices on cervical cancer screening among undergraduate female students in University of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia: an institution based cross sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2021; 21(1):775. PMC: 8063279. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-10853-2. View

14.

Rocholl M, Hannappel J, Ludewig M, John S . UV-Induced Skin Cancer Knowledge, Sun Exposure, and Tanning Behavior among University Students: Investigation of an Opportunity Sample of German University Students. J Skin Cancer. 2022; 2021:5558694. PMC: 8731302. DOI: 10.1155/2021/5558694. View

15.

Belcastro P, Ramsaroop-Hansen H . Addressing the Antinomy Between Health Education and Health Literacy in Advancing Personal Health and Public Health Outcomes. J Sch Health. 2017; 87(12):968-974. DOI: 10.1111/josh.12570. View

16.

Feng L, Dong Z, Yan R, Tu C, Zhang L, Shen J . Development and validation of the cancer symptoms discrimination scale: a cross-sectional survey of students in Yunnan, China. BMC Palliat Care. 2020; 19(1):156. PMC: 7552442. DOI: 10.1186/s12904-020-00662-6. View

17.

Tavakol M, Dennick R . Making sense of Cronbach's alpha. Int J Med Educ. 2016; 2:53-55. PMC: 4205511. DOI: 10.5116/ijme.4dfb.8dfd. View

18.

Kato H, Burger A, Emoto K, Sakama R, Uehara Y, Segon A . Prevalence of fatigue among postgraduate trainees in the United States and Japan. J Gen Fam Med. 2019; 20(6):260-263. PMC: 6875530. DOI: 10.1002/jgf2.280. View

19.

Sanz-Barbero B, Prieto M, Cambas N . Factors associated with a positive attitude towards receiving cancer information: a population-based study in Spain. Health Expect. 2015; 19(2):288-98. PMC: 5055261. DOI: 10.1111/hex.12349. View

20.

Ebadi Z, Goertz Y, Van Herck M, Janssen D, Spruit M, Burtin C . The prevalence and related factors of fatigue in patients with COPD: a systematic review. Eur Respir Rev. 2021; 30(160). PMC: 9489028. DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0298-2020. View