Colorectal Cancer Awareness, Knowledge, and Screening Intention Among Women in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background/Objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most common cancers in women in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but women-specific data on CRC awareness and knowledge in the country are scarce. We examined awareness of CRC, knowledge of its symptoms, risk factors and screening, and willingness to be screened among women in the UAE and identified correlates of each. Methods: We conducted a bilingual (Arabic/English) online cross-sectional survey between December 2023 and February 2024. Women were recruited using convenience sampling, and 180 responded. An author-defined, recognition-based 19-item knowledge index (not externally validated) counted correct selections of symptoms, risk factors, and screening methods. Analyses used bivariate tests with false discovery rate correction and multivariable logistic and linear regression. Results: In total, 77.8% of women had heard of CRC, but only 46.1% had heard of screening tests; 65.6% were willing to be screened. The mean knowledge index was 9.1 of 19 (SD 4.5). Awareness of screening tests was higher among women whose main source was a doctor or printed material (70.5% vs. 33.6%; post hoc comparison); naming doctors vs. all other sources was associated with awareness (adjusted odds ratio 3.32, 95% CI 1.49–7.41). Knowledge was higher in women under 30 years than in each older group (adjusted differences −2.9 to −4.0 points) and also when incorrect selections were penalised. The willingness model was not significant overall (p = 0.20); college education was nominally associated with lower willingness (adjusted odds ratio 0.40, 0.17–0.93; exploratory). Conclusions: In this small, highly educated convenience sample, awareness of CRC exceeded awareness of screening tests, recognition-based knowledge was lower in older women, and information source was associated with screening awareness. These exploratory findings are not population estimates and do not show that any information channel is more effective.