Table 3 The relationship between sex and awareness of lifestyle risk factors for CRC (N = 400)

CRC risk factors

Frequency

Percentage

Frequency

Percentage

p-value

Eating less than 5 portions of fruits and vegetables a day

48

27.6%

85

37.6%

0.065

Eating red or processed meat once a day or more

107

61.5%

145

64.2%

0.483

Having a diet low in fiber

100

57.5%

143

63.3%

0.279

Being overweight (BMI over 25)

94

54.0%

95

42.0%

0.042*

Being over 70 years old

82

47.1%

74

32.7%

0.01*

Having close relative with bowel cancer

93

53.4%

163

72.1%

< 0.001 **

Having bowel disease (e.g., ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease)

89

51.1%

134

59.3%

0.187

Having diabetes

49

28.2%

48

21.2%

0.057

Drinking alcohol

103

59.2%

165

73.0%

< 0.001 **

Tobacco smoking

108

62.1%

158

69.9%

0.008*