Veerakumar Arumugam Mariappan, Kar Sitanshu Sekhar
Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, India.
J Educ Health Promot. 2017 May 5;6:38. doi: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_152_15. eCollection 2017.
Awareness regarding cancer signs and symptoms and their screening and treatment method was low in India.
To assess the awareness level of common cancers, perception regarding prevention and treatment of common cancers, association between sociodemographic variables with the awareness level of common cancers in the adult population.
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 299 adults from the field practice areas of Our Rural Health Centre, Puducherry, during April-May 2014. Using systematic random sampling, 299 adults were interviewed through a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. Data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and were analyzed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20. Chi-square test was used.
Nearly, 64% were in the age group of ≥40 years, the majorities were females (56.2%) and 64% were in lower socioeconomic class. Symptoms reported majorities were unusual bleeding (41.6%), followed by nagging cough (34.1%). Risk factors reported majorities were smoking (65%), chewing tobacco (59%) followed by alcohol use (46.5%). Only 10% reported cancer could be diagnosed early and 27% perceived cancer could be preventable. Only 6% perceived cancer could be cured fully. The adequate awareness level regarding lung and oral cancer were 14%, but breast and cervical cancer were <5%. The younger age group (<40 years) had more adequate awareness level compared to age group ≥40 years ( < 0.05).
The awareness level of common cancers was very poor. Vigorous health education program should improve the status of early diagnosis and proper treatment for common cancers such as oral, breast, and cervical cancer.
在印度，人们对癌症体征和症状及其筛查与治疗方法的认知程度较低。
评估成年人对常见癌症的认知水平、对常见癌症预防和治疗的看法，以及社会人口统计学变量与常见癌症认知水平之间的关联。
2014年4月至5月期间，在本地治里我们农村健康中心的实地执业区域对299名成年人进行了一项横断面研究。采用系统随机抽样法，通过预先测试的半结构化问卷对299名成年人进行了访谈。数据录入EpiData 3.1版本，并使用社会科学统计软件包20进行分析。采用卡方检验。
近64%的人年龄在40岁及以上，大多数为女性（56.2%），64%属于社会经济地位较低的阶层。报告最多的症状是异常出血（41.6%），其次是持续性咳嗽（34.1%）。报告最多的危险因素是吸烟（65%）、咀嚼烟草（59%），其次是饮酒（46.5%）。只有10%的人报告癌症可以早期诊断，27%的人认为癌症可以预防。只有6%的人认为癌症可以完全治愈。对肺癌和口腔癌的充分认知水平为14%，但对乳腺癌和宫颈癌的认知水平低于5%。与40岁及以上年龄组相比，较年轻年龄组（<40岁）的充分认知水平更高（<0.05）。
对常见癌症的认知水平非常低。积极的健康教育项目应改善口腔、乳腺和宫颈癌等常见癌症的早期诊断和适当治疗状况。
