Embarrassment and Disgust as Predictors of Colorectal Cancer Screening Intentions Among Young Adults

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common and dangerous forms of cancer, and early detection is key to successful treatment. However, uptake of CRC screening is low. This is particularly concerning given the growing incidence of early-onset CRC among people younger than 50 years. Affective factors are known predictors of screening behavior but have been largely neglected in research. In this paper, we aim to fill this gap by investigating the influence of disgust and embarrassment on CRC screening intention among young adults. Methods: For this purpose, we conducted an online survey among students of a large German university (N = 958). Results: Regression analyses show that the negative effects of embarrassment and disgust on screening intentions are three times larger than the effects of awareness and risk perceptions.Conclusions: We conclude that future early-onset CRC research and communication campaigns aiming at increasing the screening uptake of younger adults should take these findings into account.Impact: Our study highlights the need for tailored communication approaches regarding CRC. Communication interventions aimed at younger adults should consider affective factors.