Research Article

Oral Cancer Awareness and Knowledge in the City of Valongo, Portugal

Table 1

Sociodemographic characteristics and their relations with some awareness and knowledge variables.

Variables Oral cancer awareness ( ; 68.6%)Oral cancer screening ( ; 19.9%)Tobacco as risk factor ( ; 89.5%)Alcohol as risk factor ( ; 63.2%)Ulcer as sign ( ; 90%)Red/white patch as sign ( ; 52.8%)Swelling as sign ( ; 89.9%)

Gender
 Male221143 (64.7)48 (21.7)206 (93.2)145 (65.6)193 (87.3)112 (50.7)191 (86.4)
 Female381270 (70.9)72 (18.9) 333 (87.4) 236 (61.9) 349 (91.6)206 (54)350 (91.9)
P 0.1160.404 0.080 0.108 0.2250.1390.096
Age
 <49 years298198 (66.4)52 (17.4)274 (91.9)186 (62.4)266 (89.2)148 (49.7)269 (90.3)
 ≥49 years304215 (70.7)68 (22.4) 265 (87.2) 195 (64.1) 276 (90.8)170 (55.9)272 (89.5)
P 0.2580.131 0.117 0.275 0.0500.3050.518
Professional class
 I/II5643 (76.8)13 (23.2)52 (92.9)30 (53.6)51 (91.1)35 (62.5)53 (94.6)
 III5134 (66.6)11 (21.6)47 (92.2)31 (60.8)47 (92)26 (50.9)48 (94.1)
 IV188124 (65.9)30 (15.9)167 (88.8)119 (63.3)166 (88.3)97 (51.6)170 (90.4)
 V307212 (69.1)66 (21.5) 273 (88.9) 201 (65.4) 278 (90.6)160 (52.1)270 (87.9)
P 0.4810.424 0.358 0.385 0.7220.7410.375
Marital status
 Single11276 (67.8)20 (17.9)110 (98.2)75 (66.9)100 (89.3)56 (50)103 (92)
 Married402275 (68.4)77 (19.2) 355 (88.3)256 (63.7) 361 (89.9)216 (53.7)362 (90)
 Widow/divorced/separated8862 (70.5)23 (26.1)74 (84)50 (56.8)81 (92)46 (52.3)76 (86.4)
P 0.9160.2760.0140.1770.2900.6720.479
Education
 Without5034 (68)10 (20)46 (92)32 (64)39 (78)23 (46)39 (78)
 Primary school429286 (66.6)86 (20)378 (88.1)279 (65)386 (89.9)219 (51)386 (89.9)
 High-school8158 (71.6)15 (18.5) 74 (91.4)49 (60.5) 77 (54.3)49 (60.4)75 (92.6)
 Technic-vocation/university4235 (83.3)9 (21.4)41 (97.6)21 (50)40 (95.2)27 (64.3)41 (97.8)
P 0.1490.9830.2710.0830.0540.336<0.001
Smoking
 Nonsmoker367258 (70.3)77 (21)319 (86.9)221 (60.2)330 (90)203 (55.3)328 (89.4)
 Smoker14193 (65.9)30 (21.3) 135 (95.7) 94 (66.7)126 (89.4)61 (43.3)131 (92.9)
 Ex-smoker9462 (68)13 (13.8) 85 (90.4)66 (70.2) 86 (91.5)54 (57.4)82 (87.2)
P 0.5340.2720.0480.1260.0600.0880.077
Heavy smoking
 No517359 (69.4)107 (20.7)460 (88.9)323 (62.5)464 (89.7)276 (53.4)465 (89.3)
 Yes8554 (63.5) 13 (15.3) 79 (92.9) 58 (68.2) 78 (91.7)42 (49.4)76 (89.4)
P 0.2770.2480.3850.5850.3590.7160.222
Alcohol
 Nonconsumer253170 (67.2)47 (18.2)225 (88.9)157 (62)226 (89.3)141 (55.7)231 (91.3)
 Consumer301205 (68.1)72 (23.9) 274 (91)192 (63.8) 276 (91.7)153 (50.8)270 (89.7)
 Ex-consumer4838 (79.2)11 (22.9)40 (83.3) 32 (66) 40 (83.3)24 (50)40 (83.3)
P 0.2520.7250.4970.1210.1280.7680.502
Heavy alcohol
 No534366 (68.5)102 (19.1)478 (89.5)335 (62.7)479 (89.7)286 (53.6)480 (89.9)
 yes6847 (69.1) 18 (26.5) 61 (89.7) 46 (67.6) 63 (92.6)32 (47)61 (89.7)
P 0.9230.1520.8670.6620.7160.4890.774
Fruit and vegetables
 <5 units/day459322 (70.2)91 (19.8)406 (88.5)283 (61.7)410 (89.3)242 (52.7)412 (89.7)
 ≥5 units/day14391 (63.6)29 (20.2) 133 (93) 98 (68.5) 132 (92.3)76 (53.1)129 (90.2)
P 0.1430.9060.1730.235 0.5310.6210.892
Oral hygiene frequency
 <1 per day7038 (54.3)15 (21.4)63 (90)42 (60)55 (78.6)31 (44.2)56 (80)
 ≥1 per day532375 (70.5)105 (19.7)476 (89.4)339 (63.7)487 (91.5)287 (53.1)485 (91.2)
P 0.006 0.739 0.957 0.8310.0010.2960.012
Dentist visits
 <1 year339218 (64.3)60 (17.7)300 (88.6)204 (60.2)299 (88.2)172 (50.7)299 (88.2)
 ≥1 per year263195 (74.1)60 (22.8) 239 (90.9) 177 (67.3) 243 (92.4)146 (55.5)242 (92)
P 0.0190.119 0.465 0.1490.0430.2310.234