Knowledge, attitudes, and intended practices regarding colorectal polyps among patients: a cross-sectional study

Background: Colorectal polyps are common precancerous lesions of colorectal cancer, and effective patient self-management and secondary prevention largely depend on patients' health-related knowledge, attitudes, and intended practices (KAP). Objective: This study aimed to assess the practice KAP regarding colorectal polyps among patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with colorectal polyps from July 2024 to December 2024 at Nanjing Lishui People's Hospital. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to gather demographic information and assess KAP scores. Results: A total of 472 valid responses were included in the final analysis. Among the participants, 276 (58.5%) were male, and 376 (79.7%) were newly diagnosed with intestinal polyps. The median (SD) knowledge, attitude, and intended practice scores were 5.37 (5.55) (possible range: 0-24), 36.64 (3.37) (possible range: 10-50), and 34.79 (5.32) (possible range: 9-45), respectively. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive association between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.262, P < 0.001). Similarly, attitude and intended practices were positively correlated (r = 0.238, P < 0.001). Structural equation modeling revealed that knowledge directly influenced attitude (β = 0.589, P < 0.001) and intended practices (β = -0.334, P < 0.001). Additionally, attitude had a significant direct effect on intended practices (β = 0.508, P < 0.001). Notably, knowledge also indirectly affected intended practices through its influence on attitude (β = 0.298, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Patients with colorectal polyps exhibited limited knowledge but generally maintained positive attitudes and engaged in proactive intended practices concerning their condition. Targeted educational interventions are recommended to improve knowledge, which could lead to more informed attitudes and reinforce positive practices.