Men and women differ in terms of colorectal cancer (CRC) symptom awareness, perceived barriers to screening, and screening adherence, according to local research.
In a cohort of 426 CRC screening-eligible individuals (average age 57 years, 54.5 percent female) recruited from a single polyclinic, women appeared to have greater knowledge of CRC symptoms.
More women than men were aware that CRC was among the top three cancers in Singapore (62.9 percent vs 53.4 percent) and that the possible symptoms of CRC included a change in bowel habits (69 percent vs 54.1 percent), blood in stools (77.6 percent vs 66.5 percent), and a lump in the abdomen (58.2 percent vs 47.4 percent). [Fam Pract 2026;doi:10.1093/fampra/cmag040]
However, women perceived more barriers to screening (p<0.01) and were less likely to be screen-current, defined as a combination of having ever screened and completed at least one CRC screening test modality within the recommended interval (33.6 percent vs 43.3 percent) compared with men.
In logistic regression analysis, the higher awareness of CRC-related knowledge among women did not translate to an increased likelihood of being screen-current. On the other hand, greater knowledge of CRC symptoms was associated with greater odds of being screen-current among men (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.23, 95 percent CI, 1.04–1.46).
“The main findings of our study seem to highlight the need for gender-differentiated strategies to improve CRC screening uptake in Singapore within the primary care setting,” the authors said.
“For male patients in the primary care setting, a possible solution to improving screening compliance could simply be consistent motivational reminders from healthcare providers on how screening benefits them,” they added.
For women, the authors recommended considering ground-up approaches targeted at empowering them in managing their health. This could take the form of advocacy by non-profit organizations such as the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) and the Women’s Executive Committees (WEC) of the national grassroots People’s Association.
“A one-size-fits-all manner of top-down health promotion is likely insufficient for Singapore to boost compliance to CRC screening recommendations, especially in the primary care setting. A combination of tailored cues from primary care physicians with ground-up efforts from community grassroots organizations could yield inroads, especially when aligned as parts of the holistic national HealthierSG initiative,” they said.