title: Prevalence and Factors Associated with Oral Pre-Malignant Lesions in Northeast Thailand.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral cavity cancer (OCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. No studies have reported on the prevalence and epidemiologic risk factors of oral premalignant lesions (OPLs) in Thailand. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of OPLs and associated factors in Roi Et Province, Thailand.
  
  
  METHODS
  To investigate the prevalence of OPLs, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in which 2,300 subjects over 40 years of age were recruited and screened for the prevalence of OPLs. To identify factors associated with OPLs, a matched case-control study was used in which the subjects were 102 cases with OPL and 102 matched controls without OPLs. The studies were conducted in Roi Et Province during the period 1 February, 2014, to 30 April, 2014, and the data were collected by the use of a structured interview questionnaire and by extraction of information from medical records. Data analyses involved the use of descriptive statistics, McNemar's test, and conditional logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall prevalence of OPLs was 3.8%, and no-one was diagnosed with more than one type of OPL. The factors found to be associated with a statistically significant higher risk of an OPL were betel nut chewing, smoking, and alcohol consumption. The associations with these factors were strong, especially for betel nut chewing and smoking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The habits of betel nut chewing, smoking, and alcohol use are confirmed as factors associated with OPLs in a population of Roi Et Province, Thailand. Campaigns to reduce such risk healthy behaviour are needed, but whether any actual decrease will prevent the eventual transformation of an OPL into an OCC remains an open question.
authors.affiliation: Dental Department, Roi-et Hospital, Roi-et Province, Thailand E-mail : supannee@kku.ac.th.
authors.forename: Narongrit
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Juntanong
authors.forename: Pallop
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Siewchaisakul
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bradshaw
authors.forename: Patravoot
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vatanasapt
authors.forename: Sam Li-Sheng
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Amy Ming-Fang
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Tony Hsiu-Hsi
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Supannee
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Promthet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D001114:Areca / Q000009:adverse effects; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006184:Habits; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008409:Mastication; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013785:Thailand / Q000453:epidemiology