Cognition of the warning symptoms and risk factors for cancer among Chinese college students: a cross-sectional study based on a summer social practice activity

Figures & data

Table 1. The social demographic characteristics of the participants (N = 864).

Characteristics	N (%)
Gender
Female	530(62.6%)
Male	316(37.4%)
Age
16 ∼ 19 years	383(45.3%)
≥20 years	463(54.7%)
Place of residence
Rural areas	340(40.2%)
Urban areas	506(59.8%)
Nationality
Han	657(77.7%)
Ethnic minority	189(22.3%)
Major
Medical sciences	231(27.3%)
Non- Medical sciences	615(72.7%)
Education
Junior college	115(13.6%)
Undergraduate	667(78.8%)
Postgraduate	64(7.6%)
Grade
Grade 1	263(31.1%)
Grade 2	302(35.7%)
Grade 3 and above	281(33.2%)
Guardian’s educational background
Middle school and below	447(52.8%)
High school and above	399(47.2%)
Monthly living expenses
≤￥1200 yuan	365(43.1%)
>￥1200 yuan	481(56.9%)
Number of family members
≤ 4 people	551(65.1%)
≥ 5 people	295(34.9%)
Self-perceived family economic status
Average	233(27.5%)
Good	613(72.5%)
Self-perceived family relationship
Average	279(33.0%)
Harmonious	567(67.0%)
Personality characteristics
Non-extroversive	736(87.0%)
Extroversive	110(13.0%)
Self-perceived health status
Poor	30(3.5%)
Fair	489(57.8%)
Good	327(38.7%)
Self-perceived learning pressure
Less	694(82.0%)
Much	152(18.0%)
Self-perceived economic pressure
Less	140(16.5%)
Much	706(83.5%)
Self-perceived social pressure
Less	687(81.2%)
Much	159(18.8%)
Life satisfaction
Average	62(7.3%)
Higher	784(92.7%)
Whether s/he is an only child
Yes	239(28.3%)
No	607(71.7%)
History of serious diseases
Yes	43(5.1%)
No	803(94.9%)
History of cancer in relatives and friends
No	660(78.0%)
Yes	186(22.0%)
Nursing history for cancer patients
No	761(90.0%)
Yes	85(10.0%)
Attitudes towards cancer screening
Negative	68(8.0%)
Positive	778(92.0%)
Smoking history
No	715(84.5%)
Yes	131(15.5%)
Drinking history
No	329(38.9%)
Yes	517(61.1%)
Frequency of staying up late
Occasionally	427(50.5%)
Frequently	419(49.5%)
Frequency of eating junk food
Occasionally	672(79.4%)
Frequently	174(20.6%)
Frequency of being furious
Occasionally	804(95.0%)
Frequently	42(5.0%)
Frequency of crying secretly
Never	180(21.3%)
Occasionally	666(78.7%)
The way to obtain cancer knowledge
≤3	402(47.5%)
≥4	444(52.5%)

Figure 1. The cognition levels of cancer warning symptoms among Chinese college students (N = 846).

Table 2. The influencing factors for the cognition levels of cancer warning symptoms among Chinese college students .

Variable	β	S.E.	Standardized regression coefficient	t	P	VIF
CSDS score	0.177	0.030	0.193	5.850	<0.001	1.058
Education	2.406	0.476	0.170	5.049	<0.001	1.105
Attitudes towards cancer screening	2.806	0.769	0.118	3.649	<0.001	1.023
Monthly living expenses	1.503	0.440	0.116	3.417	0.001	1.111
Drinking history	−1.371	0.428	−0.104	−3.202	0.001	1.020
The way to obtain cancer knowledge	0.839	0.424	0.065	1.978	0.048	1.051

Dependent variable:

CWSCQ score: 0–20 points.

Independent variable:

CSDS score: 0–21 points; Education: 1 = junior college, 2 = undergraduate, 3 = postgraduate; Attitudes towards cancer screening and health check-ups: 1 = negative, 2= positive; Monthly living expenses: 1= ≤￥1200 yuan, 2= >￥1200 yuan; Drinking history: 1 = no, 2 = yes; The way to obtain cancer knowledge: 1= ≤3, 2= ≥4.

Figure 2. The cognition levels of cancer risk factors among Chinese college students (N = 846).

Table 3. The influencing factors for the cognition levels of cancer risk factors among Chinese college students.

Variable	β	S.E.	Standardized regression coefficient	t	P	VIF
Education	2.106	0.247	0.267	8.523	<0.001	1.063
CSDS score	0.094	0.016	0.183	5.801	<0.001	1.077
GAD-7 score	−0.112	0.022	−0.160	−5.141	<0.001	1.053
Attitudes towards cancer screening	1.243	0.410	0.094	3.032	0.003	1.040
Life satisfaction	1.366	0.427	0.099	3.199	0.001	1.037
History of cancer in relatives and friends	0.603	0.286	0.069	2.107	0.035	1.177
The way to obtain cancer knowledge	0.560	0.225	0.078	2.490	0.013	1.057
Smoking history	−0.709	0.306	−0.071	−2.316	0.021	1.026
Nursing history for cancer patients	0.802	0.388	0.067	2.069	0.039	1.139

Dependent variable:

CRFCQ score: 0–14 points.

Independent variable:

Education: 1 = junior college, 2 = undergraduate, 3 = postgraduate; CSDS score: 0–21 points; GAD-7 score: 0–21 points; Attitudes towards cancer screening and health check-ups: 1 = negative, 2= positive; life satisfaction: 1 = average, 2= higher; History of cancer in relatives and friends: 1 = no, 2 = yes; The way to obtain cancer knowledge: 1= ≤3, 2= ≥4; Smoking history: 1 = no, 2 = yes; Nursing history for cancer patients: 1 = no, 2 = yes.

Figure 3. Interactions between cancer cognition, cancer symptom discrimination, psychological distress, and cancer fear in SEM.

Table 4. Fitting degrees of the SEM.

	χ^2/df	GFI	AGFI	RMSEA	CFI	NFI	TLI	RFI	PNFI
Fitting degrees	6.439	0.969	0.935	0.080	0.967	0.961	0.946	0.936	0.584
Threshold	—	>0.90	>0.90	<0.08	>0.90	>0.90	>0.90	>0.90	>0.50

Table 5. Load coefficient estimations of the interactions between cancer cognition, cancer symptom discrimination, psychological distress, and cancer fear in SEM.

Variable		Estimate	S.E.	C.R.	P
Cancer cognition	Psychological distress	−0.188	0.037	−5.100	<0.001
Cancer symptom discrimination	Cancer cognition	0.221	0.030	7.353	<0.001
Cancer fear	Psychological distress	0.656	0.054	12.218	<0.001
Cancer fear	Cancer symptom discrimination	0.466	0.083	5.617	<0.001

Data availability statement

The data used and analyzed in the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.