Characteristics of the study population (n=370)
| Characteristics | Categories | n | % |
| Age, years (n=368) | 50–54 | 162 | 44.0 |
| 55–59 | 129 | 35.1 | |
| 60–64 | 77 | 20.9 | |
| Sex (n=368) | Male | 173 | 47.0 |
| Female | 195 | 53.0 | |
| Education level (n=362) | High | 152 | 41.1 |
| Intermediate | 133 | 36.7 | |
| Low | 77 | 21.3 | |
| Employment status (n=325) | White-collar worker | 158 | 48.6 |
| Blue-collar worker | 61 | 18.8 | |
| Unemployed | 24 | 7.4 | |
| Retired | 38 | 11.7 | |
| Self-employed | 29 | 8.9 | |
| Other | 15 | 4.6 | |
| Household size (n=359) | One person | 51 | 14.2 |
| Two persons | 188 | 52.4 | |
| Three persons | 64 | 17.8 | |
| >3 persons | 56 | 15.6 | |
| City of residence, inhabitants (n=357) | <5000 | 118 | 33.1 |
| 5000–20 000 | 77 | 20.8 | |
| 20 000–100 000 | 81 | 22.7 | |
| > 100 000 | 81 | 22.7 | |
| Region (n=362) | Eastern Germany | 94 | 26.0 |
| Western Germany | 268 | 74.0 | |
| Migrant background (n=364) | Yes | 40 | 11.0 |
| Self-reported health (n=360) | Excellent | 18 | 5.0 |
| Very good | 112 | 31.1 | |
| Good | 183 | 50.8 | |
| Not so good | 36 | 10.0 | |
| Poor | 11 | 3.1 | |
| Health literacy (n = 362) | |||
| Extremely or very confident Moderately/slightly or/not at all confident | 261 101 | 72.1 27.9 | |
| History of cancer? (n=365) | Yes | 26 | 7.1 |
| First-degree relatives with colorectal cancer? (n=365) | Yes | 31 | 8.5 |
| Related persons with cancer? (n=365) | Yes | 226 | 61.9 |