Luís Silva Monteiro1, Saman Warnakulasuriya2, Suzana Cadilhe3, Duarte Sousa3, Pedro Ferreira Trancoso4, Luís Antunes5, Filomena Salazar1, José Júlio Pacheco1. 1. Medicine and Oral Surgery Department and Institute of Research and Advanced Training in Health Sciences and Technologies (IINFACTS), Higher Institute of Health Sciences (ISCS-N), CESPU, Paredes, Portugal. 2. Oral Medicine, Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, King's College London Dental Institute and WHO Collaborating Centre for Oral Cancer, London, United Kingdom. 3. Institute of Research and Advanced Training in Health Sciences and Technologies (IINFACTS), Higher Institute of Health Sciences (ISCS-N), CESPU, Paredes, Portugal. 4. Oral Medicine Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Fernando Pessoa University, Oporto, Portugal. 5. Epidemiology Department, Portuguese Oncology Institute (IPOPorto), Porto, Portugal.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the awareness and knowledge on oral cancer in a general population of Oporto city, in Portugal. METHODS: Face-to-face interviews were performed with 1116 individuals, resident in the city of Oporto. Participants' socio-demographic information, lifestyle habits and awareness, knowledge and beliefs on oral cancer were ascertained. RESULTS: Breast cancer was the most mentioned being as heard of (69.8%), while oral cancer was one of the least heard of (23.7%). Tobacco was identified as a risk factor by 54.8% of individuals and this knowledge was associated with their education level (P < 0.001), dentist visits (P = 0.026), and tobacco consumption (P < 0.001). Fewer subjects (24.6%) referred to alcohol as a risk factor, and this knowledge was associated with their education level (P = 0.020) and dentist visits (P = 0.002). More than half the subjects (58.8%) could not identify any sign or symptom of oral cancer. CONCLUSION: There is a general lack of awareness on oral cancer among this Oporto population. Higher education level and better oral health care were significant factors that identified individuals with a better awareness and knowledge of oral cancer, suggesting that educational measures could be useful for the prevention and early diagnosis of oral cancer in the Portuguese population.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the awareness and knowledge on oral cancer in a general population of Oporto city, in Portugal. METHODS: Face-to-face interviews were performed with 1116 individuals, resident in the city of Oporto. Participants' socio-demographic information, lifestyle habits and awareness, knowledge and beliefs on oral cancer were ascertained. RESULTS:Breast cancer was the most mentioned being as heard of (69.8%), while oral cancer was one of the least heard of (23.7%). Tobacco was identified as a risk factor by 54.8% of individuals and this knowledge was associated with their education level (P < 0.001), dentist visits (P = 0.026), and tobacco consumption (P < 0.001). Fewer subjects (24.6%) referred to alcohol as a risk factor, and this knowledge was associated with their education level (P = 0.020) and dentist visits (P = 0.002). More than half the subjects (58.8%) could not identify any sign or symptom of oral cancer. CONCLUSION: There is a general lack of awareness on oral cancer among this Oporto population. Higher education level and better oral health care were significant factors that identified individuals with a better awareness and knowledge of oral cancer, suggesting that educational measures could be useful for the prevention and early diagnosis of oral cancer in the Portuguese population.