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| Awareness of Sudanese Primary Health Care Workers about Oral Cancer |
Alkhair Abd Almahmoud Idris, P.hD, Sakeena Mohammed Aldouma, M.Sc, Fatima Ali Mohammed , B.Sc
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Abstract:
Oral cancer is one of the 10 most frequent cancers worldwide; with about three-quarters of all cases occurring in the developing countries. Oral cancer is one of the major health problems in the Sudan, due to the habit use of Toombak which contain high level of the potent carcinogenic component of the tobacco. This study was aimed to assess the awareness of Sudanese primary health care workers about oral cancer. This descriptive cross sectional study was carried out in Khartoum State (Sudan).Questionnaires were filled with two hundred primary health care workers in Khartoum State, who were randomly selected included doctors, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technologists, laboratory assistants and counters, assessed their knowledge about oral cancer. Analyses of data were carried out using the SPSS for windows software package. Our results revealed that most of respondents (52%) were at the prime of their youth [20-30 years] and (68.5%) had university education. There was gender differences among respondents, most of them were males constituted 64.5%, the majority (50%) had monthly income between 500-1000 which they were related to middle economic class. Most of respondents (54.5%) were tobacco users, (47%) were cigarette smokers, and among tobacco users majority of them (42%) were used it in between (7-10 years) and (42%) were used it only one time/day. Most of them (82%) were free of alcohol drink and Aragi had been the drink of choice to most of respondents constituted (42%). All respondents (100 %) had heard about oral cancer, Most of them (29%) got their knowledge of oral cancer from television, and majority of them (69%) choice tobacco as the major risk factor for oral cancer. Most of respondents (27%) mentioned that swelling in mouth is the most important signs of oral cancer, and (33%) choice bleeding in mouth as the most important symptoms of oral cancer. Most of respondents (45%) said that histological technique (examination of surgical biopsy) is the best method for diagnosis, and (42%) preferred chemotherapy as the best method for treatment. Majority of respondents (53%) considered stop using of tobacco and early diagnosis as the best method for prevention of oral cancer. In conclusion our results revealed that primary health workers in Khartoum State (Sudan) had a good knowledge about oral cancer risk factors, signs, symptoms, diagnostic techniques and prevention methods but they had poor knowledge about the best treatment methods of oral cancer.
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