Public knowledge and attitudes on oral cancer: a pilot investigation

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Abstract
This pilot investigation was developed to study public attitudes towards oral cancer, in terms of perception of cause, prevention, mortality, and general awareness. Information was obtained by means of a self-administered questionnaire at two general medical practices. The sample was a self-selected group of 406 individuals attending those practices during December 1992 to March 1993; the compliance was 80 per cent. Subjects were all over 16 years of age and represented a spectrum of age groups up to 85 years. They came from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. The majority of respondents believed that cancer was a common disease that could be inherited or caused, for example, by nuclear power plants, pollution, food contamination, or artificial additivies in food. Only two-thirds had heard of mouth cancer, although nearly all of them had heard of skin cancer. The majority were able to identify tobacco usage as a risk factor, while less than one-tenth indicated alcohol. There was clearly confusion and lack of knowledge about the most important determinants and risk factors for cancer and many respondents were misinformed. The questionnaire proved to be educational and a high proportion of participants showed interest in receiving further information on mouth cancer.