Oral cancer awareness and prevalence of risk behaviours among dental patients in south-western Nigeria

Abstract

The present study, based in a tertiary hospital in South western Nigeria , assessed cancer awareness among patients seeking dental treatment. A specially designed questionnaire w a s use d t o collect information on the knowledge , beliefs a n d habits o f those attending the dental hospital withi n a designate d period of the year. Almost 6 1 % o f t h e respondents h a d post-secondar y education . T h e leve l o f ora l cance r awareness w a s remarkably high (72%), but this w a s low compared to awareness about occurrence o f cancer in other parts of the body (89.9%). Awareness w a s found to be closely associate d wit h educational status. T h e stud y also revealed that 5 0 % had previous information on oral cancers from mass medi a a s against 20.1 % w h o wer e informed through healt h car e professionals. Almost half of the study sampl e recalled episode s o f previous oral ulceration and of these , greate r tha n 5 0 % indulged in either self medication (38.1 % ) o r n o medicatio n at all (18.4%). The prevalence o f alcohol consumption and smoking habits among the respondents w a s low being, 16.3% and 4.2% respectively . T h e lac k o f association , in this study, between oral cancer incidence a n d the know n risk behaviours, is an obviou s indication for investigation into othe r predisposing factors such a s nutrients, genetic predisposition a n d the role o f chronic infections. Perhaps one or more o f these might be more relevant in this environment.