Laissez les bon temps rouler, but get screened: colon cancer awareness in young Black men in Louisiana

OBJECTIVE: Black men experience the highest incidence and mortality rates from colorectal cancer (CRC) in Louisiana. Limited awareness of screening guidelines, low perceived risk, and structural barriers to care contribute to delayed detection. This study assessed CRC awareness, risk perceptions, screening intentions, and communication preferences among Black men aged 30-44 in Louisiana to inform targeted intervention strategies. METHODS: We conducted a statewide cross-sectional survey of English-speaking individuals who identified as male, African American or Black, were aged 30-44 and resided in Louisiana. Measures included CRC awareness, perceived risk, prior screening recommendations, screening intentions, exposure to CRC-related messaging, social media use, and trusted sources of health information. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize responses. RESULTS: We analyzed a total of 403 responses. Most participants did not perceive CRC as a significant personal health threat. Although 40% reported receiving a physician's recommendation for screening, only 70% of those individuals completed screening. Fewer than half recalled exposure to CRC-related messages, and message recall was generally low. Social media use was widespread (97%), with 58% reporting regular engagement with influencers. Doctors, teachers, coaches, and pastors were identified as the most trusted sources of health information. CONCLUSION: Findings highlight low perceived risk of CRC alongside high engagement with digital platforms. These results support the development of culturally tailored, lead-time messaging strategies that increase both perceived severity and susceptibility, leverage trusted messengers, and utilize digital media to promote timely CRC screening among young Black men.