Background:
First-degree relatives (FDRs) of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients are at increased risk for CRC. Colonoscopy is the recommended screening modality, yet uptake in this high-risk group remains poorly characterized, particularly in Saudi Arabia.
Methods:
We conducted a cross-sectional study of FDR of patients diagnosed with CRC at a tertiary academic center. They completed a structured questionnaire assessing awareness of CRC screening, previous screening practice, and perceived barriers to undergoing a colonoscopy.
Results:
Among 346 FDRs, 122 (35.3%) were aware of CRC screening recommendations and 78 (22.5%) had undergone colonoscopy. Among participants who had not undergone colonoscopy and provided complete barrier-response data (
n
= 268), the most commonly reported barrier was lack of information or inadequate counseling (51.9%,
n
= 139), followed by psychological fear (17.9%,
n
= 48) and financial barriers (16.4%,
n
= 44). Colonoscopy uptake did not differ by gender (23.4% vs. 19.7%,
P
= 0.423) but was higher among those with higher educational attainment and medical backgrounds (
P
= 0.001).
Conclusion:
CRC screening awareness and colonoscopy uptake among FDRs of CRC patients are suboptimal. Family-centered counseling at diagnosis, structured patient navigation, and tailored education programs are needed to improve screening participation in this at-risk population.
Cite this Article (APA)
Ammar, A., Razan, A., Abdulaziz, A., Abdullah, A., Muhammad, F. M., Saad, A., Ghazi, A., Noura, A., Resheed, A., Majid, A. (2026). Awareness, barriers, and uptake of colorectal cancer screening among first-degree relatives: A cross-sectional study. Saudi Journal of Gastroenterology. https://doi.org/10.4103/sjg.sjg_108_26
