Awareness, perception and behavioral determinants associated with cancer prevention among adults: Results from a cross-sectional study in urban field practice area of a tertiary care hospital, Kolkata

Background: Cancer is emerging as a major public health problem. Two-thirds of cancer patients are in the advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. Public awareness plays a big role in cancer prevention. Aims and Objectives: To assess awareness, perception, and behavioral determinants of cancer pr...

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Main Authors: Paramita Sarkar, Pallabi Dasgupta, Payel Sarkar, Rivu Basu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Manipal College of Medical Sciences, Pokhara 2024-12-01
Series:Asian Journal of Medical Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/AJMS/article/view/65958
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author Paramita Sarkar
Pallabi Dasgupta
Payel Sarkar
Rivu Basu
author_facet Paramita Sarkar
Pallabi Dasgupta
Payel Sarkar
Rivu Basu
author_sort Paramita Sarkar
collection DOAJ
description Background: Cancer is emerging as a major public health problem. Two-thirds of cancer patients are in the advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. Public awareness plays a big role in cancer prevention. Aims and Objectives: To assess awareness, perception, and behavioral determinants of cancer prevention of urban adults. Materials and Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted in the urban slum of Kolkata. Four hundred fifteen respondents were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire after having consent. Results: Though majority (72.3%) of respondents had satisfactory awareness but had limited awareness on screening tests (58.6%) and vaccination (1.6%). Half of them had a favorable perception on cancer prevention but the perceived barrier was more. The behavior score was poor among the majority of participants. The main source of information was T.V. (88.2%) and friends and relatives (80.2%). Only one-fourth of participants mentioned of health workers and health camps as sources of information indicating inadequate activities on cancer awareness programs. Age (OR 7.08, 95% CI=1.07–46.74), sex (OR 0.38, 95% CI=0.19–0.76) education (OR 4.81, 95% CI=2.50–9.27) were significant predictors of satisfactory awareness. Higher levels of education, younger age, and female gender were factors that shaped perception. Only education level (OR 0.29, 95% CI=0.15–0.59) had a significant association with cancer preventive behavior. Conclusions: Though awareness on primary preventive measures was satisfactory but behavior was unsatisfactory among study participants. They had more perceived barriers while taking preventive measures. The finding indicates a need to promote health education and motivate people to recognize and modify cancer-related behavioral risk factors.
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spelling doaj-art-691e2f2e02584567b727bbbff47fd0462025-08-20T02:36:02ZengManipal College of Medical Sciences, PokharaAsian Journal of Medical Sciences2467-91002091-05762024-12-0115127984https://doi.org/10.3126/ajms.v15i12.65958Awareness, perception and behavioral determinants associated with cancer prevention among adults: Results from a cross-sectional study in urban field practice area of a tertiary care hospital, KolkataParamita Sarkar 0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3460-0007Pallabi Dasgupta 1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6721-2353Payel Sarkar 2https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1170-1463Rivu Basu 3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4993-494XAssistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, North Bengal Medical College, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, North Bengal Medical College, Darjeeling, West Bengal, India Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Kolkata, West Bengal, India Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Mata Gujri Memorial Medical College, Kishanganj, Bihar, India Background: Cancer is emerging as a major public health problem. Two-thirds of cancer patients are in the advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. Public awareness plays a big role in cancer prevention. Aims and Objectives: To assess awareness, perception, and behavioral determinants of cancer prevention of urban adults. Materials and Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted in the urban slum of Kolkata. Four hundred fifteen respondents were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire after having consent. Results: Though majority (72.3%) of respondents had satisfactory awareness but had limited awareness on screening tests (58.6%) and vaccination (1.6%). Half of them had a favorable perception on cancer prevention but the perceived barrier was more. The behavior score was poor among the majority of participants. The main source of information was T.V. (88.2%) and friends and relatives (80.2%). Only one-fourth of participants mentioned of health workers and health camps as sources of information indicating inadequate activities on cancer awareness programs. Age (OR 7.08, 95% CI=1.07–46.74), sex (OR 0.38, 95% CI=0.19–0.76) education (OR 4.81, 95% CI=2.50–9.27) were significant predictors of satisfactory awareness. Higher levels of education, younger age, and female gender were factors that shaped perception. Only education level (OR 0.29, 95% CI=0.15–0.59) had a significant association with cancer preventive behavior. Conclusions: Though awareness on primary preventive measures was satisfactory but behavior was unsatisfactory among study participants. They had more perceived barriers while taking preventive measures. The finding indicates a need to promote health education and motivate people to recognize and modify cancer-related behavioral risk factors.https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/AJMS/article/view/65958awareness; perception; cancer; urban population
spellingShingle Paramita Sarkar
Pallabi Dasgupta
Payel Sarkar
Rivu Basu
Awareness, perception and behavioral determinants associated with cancer prevention among adults: Results from a cross-sectional study in urban field practice area of a tertiary care hospital, Kolkata
Asian Journal of Medical Sciences
awareness; perception; cancer; urban population
title Awareness, perception and behavioral determinants associated with cancer prevention among adults: Results from a cross-sectional study in urban field practice area of a tertiary care hospital, Kolkata
title_full Awareness, perception and behavioral determinants associated with cancer prevention among adults: Results from a cross-sectional study in urban field practice area of a tertiary care hospital, Kolkata
title_fullStr Awareness, perception and behavioral determinants associated with cancer prevention among adults: Results from a cross-sectional study in urban field practice area of a tertiary care hospital, Kolkata
title_full_unstemmed Awareness, perception and behavioral determinants associated with cancer prevention among adults: Results from a cross-sectional study in urban field practice area of a tertiary care hospital, Kolkata
title_short Awareness, perception and behavioral determinants associated with cancer prevention among adults: Results from a cross-sectional study in urban field practice area of a tertiary care hospital, Kolkata
title_sort awareness perception and behavioral determinants associated with cancer prevention among adults results from a cross sectional study in urban field practice area of a tertiary care hospital kolkata
topic awareness; perception; cancer; urban population
url https://www.nepjol.info/index.php/AJMS/article/view/65958
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