title: Awareness and assessment of risk factors for lung cancer in residents of Pokhara Valley, Nepal.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to evaluate the awareness and assessment of lung cancer risk factors with respect to sociodemographic factors among residents of Pokhara Valley, Nepal.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional study was carried out in 240 residents between 01 September 2009 and 31 March 2010 using a structured questionnaire containing details of lung cancer risk factors viz., smoking, environmental pollution, insecticide exposure, hereditary factors, protective diet and socio demographic details. Descriptive statistics and testing of hypothesis were used for the analysis using EPI INFO and SPSS 16 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the 240 subjects, the mean age was 33.4 ± SD 11.4 years, with a slight male preponderance in gender distribution (57.5% males vs. 42.5% females). 32.5% out of the study population were smokers (43.5% of males and 17.6% of females). Relationships could be established between gender and smoking (p=0.001, odds ratio=3.58), stoppage or restriction of tobacco use (p=0.001), smoking by mother during subjects' childhood as a motivation to develop smoking habit (p= 0.001), tobacco use as a cause of cancer (p=0.001), cancer as the most dreaded disease (p=0.009). Positive relationships were found between educational level and risk factors viz. smoking by mother during subjects' childhood (p= 0.03), wood or coal exposure causing lung cancer (p=0.0001), protection from lung cancer by consumption of green and yellow vegetables (p=0.0001) and insecticide exposure as a cause of lung cancer (p=0.0001). No strong relationship could be established between gender and outdoor pollution (p=0.721), insecticide exposure (p=0.219), protective diet (p=0.979) and hereditary factors (p=0.273).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Awareness of lung cancer by tobacco use and other risk factors varied with socioeconomic status amongst residents of Pokhara. Despite their awareness of smoking as a risk factor for lung cancer, most of them still continue to smoke. Government and NGOs should gear up a population based counselling programme in this community.
authors.affiliation: Final MBBS Students, Manipal College of Medical Scienes, Pokhara, Nepal. rachitchawla23@gmail.com
authors.forename: Rachit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chawla
authors.forename: Brijesh
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sathian
authors.forename: Aradhana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehra
authors.forename: Vivek
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kiyawat
authors.forename: Ashvita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garg
authors.forename: Kriti
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sharma
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000209:etiology*; D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D009390:Nepal; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires