Oral cancer awareness and knowledge among residents in the Oporto city, Portugal. Issue 3 (15th May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Monteiro, Luís Silva; Warnakulasuriya, Saman; Cadilhe, Suzana; Sousa, Duarte; Trancoso, Pedro Ferreira; Antunes, Luís; Salazar, Filomena; Pacheco, José Júlio
• Is Part Of: Journal of investigative and clinical dentistry. Volume 7:Issue 3(2016)
• Page Start: 294
• Page End: 303
• Publication Date: 2015-05-15
• Subjects: awareness -- oral cancer -- risk factors -- signs and symptoms -- survey; Dentistry -- Periodicals; Mouth -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Mouth Diseases -- Periodicals; Tooth Diseases -- Periodicals; 617.6
• DOI: 10.1111/jicd.12158
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2041-1618

Abstract

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.