# Colorectal cancer risk: stereotypical assumptions and competing values – a qualitative study with the general public

## TL;DR

This study explores how the general public in Sweden perceives colorectal cancer risk and how they balance lifestyle choices with health advice.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into public perceptions of CRC risk and preferences for risk communication, emphasizing the need for nuanced and supportive messaging.

## Key findings

- Participants had limited understanding of CRC risks and relied on stereotypical assumptions.
- Public preferences highlight the need for credible, actionable, and non-blaming risk information.
- Community interventions should support healthy behaviors without restricting personal choices.

## Abstract

Informing the public about lifestyle-related risk factors for colorectal cancer (CRC) is central for cancer prevention. More knowledge is needed about the public’s perceptions of CRC risk and how it relates to their lifestyle decisions, in order to design and communicate risk information effectively. This study aims to explore how the general public perceives risk factors for CRC, their risk of developing CRC, and their willingness to make lifestyle changes to reduce their CRC risk. The study also explores their experiences of, and preferences for, lifestyle-related risk communication and cancer prevention in the community.

The study employed an explorative qualitative design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between May 2024 and January 2025 with 25 individuals from the general public in Sweden, including women and men aged 22 to 80 years. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis as described by Braun and Clarke.

Four themes with 10 sub-themes were identified. The first theme, Information void leaves room for uninformed assumptions, describes participants’ limited understanding of CRC and its risk factors, resulting in assumptions about risks based on stereotypical and intuitive beliefs. In the second theme, Colorectal cancer risk – one of many competing aspects in the pursuit of a fulfilling life, participants described balancing values and factors beyond health risks that influenced their motivation and ability to adopt healthy lifestyle habits. The third theme, Need for comprehensible information that addresses actual knowledge gaps, describes that participants requested credible and personally engaging risk information that provides actionable advice without instilling worry or blaming individuals. The fourth theme, Community interventions should facilitate healthier behaviours but not restrict individuals’ personal choice, describes participants’ reflections on a shared responsibility for cancer prevention, emphasizing that society should support a healthy lifestyle without excessively interfering in individuals lives.

There was a clear need for more information about CRC and associated lifestyle risks. As individuals balance competing values in their lifestyle decisions, risk information must be nuanced and respectful of personal priorities and communicated carefully in a positive and supportive way to raise awareness and encourage healthy choices.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-026-26737-2.