title: Knowledge and risk perception of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer among non-medical university students.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To assess non-medical university students' knowledge and perceived risk of developing oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was conducted among non-medical students of a private Midwestern university in the United States in May 2012. Questionnaire assessed demographic information and contained 21 previously validated questions regarding knowledge and perceived risk of developing oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer. Knowledge scale was categorized into low and high. Risk level was estimated based on smoking, drinking, and sexual habits. Bivariate associations between continuous and categorical variables were assessed using Pearson correlation and Chi-square tests, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 87% (100 out of 115 students approached). Eighty-one percent (81%) had low oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer knowledge; and only 2% perceived that their oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer risk was high. Risk perception was negatively correlated with age at sexual debut, r (64) = -0.26, p = 0.037; one-way ANOVA showed a marginally significant association between risk perception and number of sexual partners, F(4, 60) = 2.48, p = 0.05. There was no significant association between knowledge and perception of risk; however, oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer knowledge was significantly associated with frequency of prevention of STDs (p < 0.05). Although 86% had heard about oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer, only 18% had heard of oral mouth examination, and 7% of these reported ever having an oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer exam.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer knowledge and risk perception is low among this student population. Since oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer incidence is increasingly shifting towards younger adults, interventions must be tailored to this group in order to improve prevention and control.
authors.affiliation: Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO, 63130, USA. nosazuwa@slu.edu.|Saint Louis University Cancer Center, 3655 Vista Avenue, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA. nosazuwa@slu.edu.|Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Saint Louis University, School of Medicine, 6th Floor Desloge Building, 3635 Vista Avenue, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA. nosazuwa@slu.edu.|Department of Epidemiology, Saint Louis University, College for Public Health and Social Justice, 3545 Lafayette Avenue, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63108, USA. nosazuwa@slu.edu.
authors.forename: Nosayaba
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Osazuwa-Peters
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Saint Louis University, College for Public Health and Social Justice, 3545 Lafayette Avenue, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63108, USA.
authors.forename: Nhial T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Tutlam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D012307:Risk Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
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