Evaluation of Oral Cancer Risk and Common Knowledge Levels of the People Living in Eastern Anatolia

Abstract

Aim: It was aimed to determine whether individuals from a sample consisting of both the public and healthcare professionals have predisposing factors for oral cancer and to learn about their thoughts on oral cancer. Materials and Methods: 784 individuals aged 18-70 years living in Van and neighboring provinces who did not have any physical or mental disability to fill out the online questionnaire were included in the study. For the comparison of categorical variables between groups, the Chi-Square test was utilized. A significance level of p < .05 was considered. Results: Out of 784 participants, 45.5% (356) were female, 54.1% (424) were male, and 0.4% (4) chose not to specify their gender. Regarding age distribution, 85.7% (672) of participants were aged of 40. Out of the participants in the questionnaire, 297 individuals (37.9%) are employed as healthcare professionals, while 487 individuals (62.1%) belong to other occupational groups. Additionally, among the participants, 28 participants (3.6%) who are elementary school graduates, 112 participants (14.3%) who are high school graduates, 587 participants (74.9%) who hold a university degree, and 51 individuals (6.5%) who have completed postgraduate or doctoral-level education. Conclusion:Efforts to raise awareness among the public through various mass communication tools, social media, and the dedication of healthcare professionals will have a positive impact on the prognosis of oral cancers, which can cause various defects in terms of function, aesthetics, and functionality.