Abstract
Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the level of awareness about the signs and risk factors of oral cancer and attitude toward its screening among the general population in Madinah.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive observational study was conducted between December 2020 and March 2021. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information from Saudi adults aged 18 years and older who living in Madinah. A total of 271 participants included in the survey. Data were collected, coded, and analyzed as appropriate using Parametric and non-parametric tests and the significance level was set at (p < 0.05).
Results: Only 63.5% of the respondents had heard about oral cancer while 53.3% of the respondents do not know if oral cancer can spread to other parts of their body. Smoking, alcohol consumption and viral infection were identified as the major risk factors by 79.3%, 50.6% and 37.3% of the participants, respectively. Female participants were significantly more aware about oral cancer, they think oral cancer can be treated and believe that floor of the mouth and tongue are the most common sites for oral cancer (p<0.05).
Conclusion: The present results highlight that the level of awareness about oral cancer among the general population in Madinah was unsatisfactory. Although current results showed that the public had a positive attitude when noticing a lesion in the mouth, it is evident that further efforts should be directed towards public education and raise awareness regarding risk factors associated with oral cancer.