Development of a Risk Assessment Tool for Colorectal Cancer among the Population in Namon District, Kalasin Province.

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is a major public health problem with a steadily increasing trend in Thailand. Effective individual risk assessment plays a crucial role in promoting proactive screening and improving access to healthcare services. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the quality of a risk assessment tool for colorectal cancer among the general population, including both males and females aged 50–70 years, in Namon District, Kalasin Province. This research employed a Research and Development design conducted in three phases: (1) a review of literature and international guidelines to establish the conceptual framework and components of the tool; (2) content validity assessment by three experts, yielding an overall Index of Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) of 0.95; and (3) pilot testing with 30 participants in Maha Sarakham Province to assess clarity and reliability. The results indicated that the developed tool consists of demographic factors, health behaviors, family history, and key warning symptoms. The internal consistency reliability was high, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.87. The tool also demonstrated good discriminative ability, with a sensitivity of 82.50% and a specificity of 78.40%, based on a sample of 405 individuals aged 50–70 years who underwent colorectal cancer screening. In conclusion, the developed risk assessment tool shows good validity and reliability. It can be used as a preliminary screening tool at the primary care and community levels to support decision-making for screening, reduce unnecessary referrals, and enhance the efficiency of local health resource management.