Posorski Ewa, Boyd Linda, Giblin Lori J, Welch Lisa
Harper College School of Dental Hygiene, 1200 W Algonquin Rd, Palatine, IL, 60067, USA,
J Community Health. 2014 Dec;39(6):1109-16. doi: 10.1007/s10900-014-9862-6.
The study assessed participant awareness of oral cancer (OC), risk factors, signs and symptoms, and history of an OC screening exam and whether a relationship exists between these factors and the participant's age, level of education, socioeconomic status (SES), ethnicity, and gender. It was a descriptive survey research with a non-randomized sample. Participants were a convenience sample of seniors participating in a congregate dining program of the DuPage County Senior Citizens Council. Data was collected through a written, self-administered survey. Sixty-two surveys were completed, with an overall response rate of 66%. A statistically significant relationship was found between the level of education and awareness of OC risk factors (r = 0.26; P = 0.04). An inverse relationship was found between the level of education and the level of OC awareness questions, "have you ever heard about OC?" (r = -0.37; P = 0.004), and "how much do you know about OC?" (r = 0.35; P = 0.008). A trend toward significance was noted for the level of education and awareness of OC signs and symptoms (r = 0.24; P = 0.06). The levels of OC awareness in the seniors were lower than the general population. Seniors in the lower SES strata and who have low education levels are of particular concern, and it is important to conduct further studies tailored towards populations with these combined factors. Additional research is needed to determine how to best communicate OC awareness and implement programs specifically for this high-risk group.
该研究评估了参与者对口腔癌（OC）的知晓情况、风险因素、体征和症状、OC筛查检查史，以及这些因素与参与者的年龄、教育水平、社会经济地位（SES）、种族和性别之间是否存在关联。这是一项采用非随机样本的描述性调查研究。参与者是参与杜佩奇县老年人理事会集体用餐计划的老年人的便利样本。数据通过书面的自填式调查问卷收集。共完成了62份调查问卷，总体回复率为66%。研究发现教育水平与对OC风险因素的知晓之间存在统计学显著关联（r = 0.26；P = 0.04）。在教育水平与OC知晓问题“你听说过OC吗？”（r = -0.37；P = 0.004）以及“你对OC了解多少？”（r = 0.35；P = 0.008）的水平之间发现了负相关关系。教育水平与对OC体征和症状的知晓之间存在显著趋势（r = 0.24；P = 0.06）。老年人的OC知晓水平低于一般人群。社会经济地位较低且教育水平较低的老年人尤其值得关注，针对具有这些综合因素的人群开展进一步研究很重要。需要进行更多研究以确定如何最好地传播OC知晓信息并专门为这一高风险群体实施相关项目。
