Table 6 Proportion of participants correctly answering each knowledge question in each study arm

Q1: Can people without symptoms have bowel cancer? (Y/N)

94/97 (96.9%)

100/102 (98.0%)

103/104 (99.0%)

0.556

Q2: How many people out of 10 survive bowel cancer if treated early? (4/6/9)

88/97 (90.7%)

92/102 (90.2%)

94/104 (90.4%)

0.992

Q3: Do you think that all cancers bleed, meaning that the bowel cancer screening test will find every cancer? (Y/N)

93/97 (95.9%)

101/102 (99.0%)

101/104 (97.1%)

0.378

Q4: The bowel preparations required before a colonoscopy will mean you experience urgency to go to a bathroom and you will need to remain at home (Y/N)

87/97 (89.7%)

91/102 (89.2%)

90/104 (86.5%)

0.750

Q5: How long does a colonoscopy take? (5–10 min/20–45 min/1–2 h)

90/97 (92.8%)

93/102 (91.2%)

95/104 (91.3%)

0.903

Q6: How many people who have a colonoscopy will experience bowel perforation (tear of the lining of the bowel)? (1 in 2000/1 in 500/1 in 200)

95/97 (97.9%)

97/102 (95.1%)

89/104 (85.6%)

0.002

Q7: Bleeding occurs with approximately one in every 100–200 polyp removals (true/false)

92/97 (94.8%)

93/102 (91.2%)

93/104 (89.4%)

0.365

Q8: The sedation used during colonoscopy occasionally cause problems with breathing, heart rate and blood pressure (true/false)

89/97 (91.8%)

89/102 (87.3%)

86/104 (82.7%)

0.159