Knowledge, Attitude and Practices on Cancer Education and Prevention: A Cross-Sectional Survey
Background: Lifestyle associated cancers are 1 of the top 5 leading causes of death in the world and India sees a million new cases yearly. Early detection is an effective way to reduce incidences and mortality for preventable cancers. There is significant delay in detection for a large proportion of cancer patients in India. Lack of awareness about cancer has been shown to be a major contributor to treatment delay in many countries. The current study looked at the cancer awareness in an urban Indian population to address the gap of information about cancer prevention. Aim: To quantify knowledge about cancer in an urban population and find sociodemographic associations of lack of knowledge. We also wanted to compare knowledge of people from general population with those having some knowledge due to a family member being under treatment. Methods: Data were collected from 2 stratums: family members of cancer patients, Internet using community from general population, non-Internet using community dwellers. Subject selection was randomized. A prevalidated questionnaire was used. Data were analyzed using STATA 13. Results: Respondents (n = 846) were family of cancer patients (n = 146, 17.3%), community dwellers (n = 175, 20.7%) and community Internet users (n = 525, 62.1%). No association of knowledge with age, gender, and income was found ( P values 0.84, 0.25, 0.93 respectively). Statistically significant association of cancer knowledge with education was found ( P < 0.001). There is significant difference in knowledge between Internet using and non-Internet using community ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: Education impacts cancer knowledge of the population. The population having access to Internet has a higher knowledge than nonusers; but exposure to cancer treatment does not result in higher knowledge on cancer. These results will inform prevention and health education policies and aid in designing awareness and screening programs for preventing cancer.