Agarwal Shubham, Manaktala Nidhi, Natarajan Srikant, Boaz Karen
Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India.
ScientificWorldJournal. 2024 Dec 28;2024:8814749. doi: 10.1155/tswj/8814749. eCollection 2024.
Oral cancer is responsible for increased mortality, especially in the Indian subcontinent. Habits like smoking and tobacco chewing are among the most common causes of oral cancer. Previously, these habits were seen mainly in the elderly; however, the trends have seemed to increase in the younger generation. Awareness regarding oral cancer is essential during the early years of a healthcare expert for effective diagnosis. This study aimed to investigate oral cancer awareness among medical and dental students. A cross-sectional study including 144 medical and 112 dental undergraduate students was designed. A validated 12-question questionnaire on oral cancer awareness was distributed to medical and dental undergraduate students. The collated data were analyzed statistically using tests of proportion. Dental students were more likely to examine oral mucosa routinely ( = 9.585, =0.002) and observe oral lesions like proliferative growth ( = 71.763, < 0.001), while medical students reported higher incidences of poor oral hygiene ( = 7.667, =0.006) and tobacco usage ( = 6.337, =0.012). Both groups expressed a need for more education on oral cancer, with dental students showing a stronger preference ( = 7.526, =0.006). Referral to an oral surgeon was preferred among both groups. The dental students felt a lack of sufficient knowledge on oral cancer. It was observed that the knowledge and information regarding cancer-related symptoms was more among medical students. However, overall awareness regarding oral cancer was higher in dental students compared to medical students. It was concluded that medical students exhibited more knowledge about oral cancer causes, while dental students were more aware of its signs and symptoms. Educational interventions should be introduced early to reduce diagnostic delays and prevent cancer progression.
口腔癌导致死亡率上升，在印度次大陆尤其如此。吸烟和嚼烟草等习惯是口腔癌最常见的病因。以前，这些习惯主要见于老年人；然而，在年轻一代中，这种趋势似乎有所增加。在医疗保健专家职业生涯的早期，提高对口腔癌的认识对于有效诊断至关重要。本研究旨在调查医学和牙科学生对口腔癌的认识。设计了一项横断面研究，纳入144名医学本科生和112名牙科本科生。向医学和牙科本科生发放了一份经过验证的、包含12个问题的口腔癌认识调查问卷。使用比例检验对整理后的数据进行统计学分析。牙科学生更有可能定期检查口腔黏膜（χ² = 9.585，P = 0.002）并观察增殖性生长等口腔病变（χ² = 71.763，P < 0.001），而医学学生报告口腔卫生差（χ² = 7.667，P = 0.006）和烟草使用（χ² = 6.337，P = 0.012）的发生率更高。两组都表示需要更多关于口腔癌的教育，牙科学生表现出更强的偏好（χ² = 7.526，P = 0.006）。两组都更倾向于转诊至口腔外科医生。牙科学生感觉对口腔癌缺乏足够的了解。据观察，医学学生对癌症相关症状的知识和信息更多。然而，与医学学生相比，牙科学生对口腔癌的总体认识更高。得出的结论是，医学学生对口腔癌病因的了解更多，而牙科学生对其体征和症状更了解。应尽早引入教育干预措施，以减少诊断延误并预防癌症进展。
