Public Awareness of Warning Signs and Symptoms of Cancer in Oman: A Community-Based Survey of Adults

Abstract

Background: The majority of deaths from cancer occur in low and middle income countries, partly due to poor public awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer. Materials and Methods: A community based survey using the Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM) questionnaire was conducted in three different communities in Oman. Omani adults aged 18 years and above were invited to participate in the study. Results: A total of 345 responded from 450 invited participants (response rate=76.7%). The majority of respondents were unable to identify the common signs and symptoms of cancer identified in the CAM (average awareness was 40.6%). The most emotional barrier to seeking help was worry about what the doctor might find (223, 64.6%); a practical barrier was too busy to make an appointment (259, 75.1%) and a service barrier was difficulty talking to the doctor (159, 46.1%). The majority of respondents (more than 60% for seven out of ten symptoms) would seek medical help in two weeks for most signs or symptoms of cancer. Females were significantly more likely than males to be embarrassed (p<0.001), scared (p=0.001), and lack confidence talking about their symptoms (p=0.022). Conclusions: Urgent strategies are needed to improve public awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer in Oman. This might leads to earlier diagnosis, improved prognosis and reduced mortality from cancer.

Knowledge about Risk Factors for Cancer among Adults in Nepal

“…It is well known that education is very important for good health. This finding is supported by other studies, indicating that education is an important marker in healthy behavior [1,2,8].…”

“…This finding is supported by an Omani study in which respondents showed a low awareness about eating less fruit and vegetables, and where obesity and the eating of red or processed meat were associated with cancer risk [2]. With this reduced awareness, there is a high risk of Nepali people suffering from cancer.…”

“…In Europe, cancer accounts for 20% of all deaths, and cancer leads to 1.1 million deaths per year in Southeast Asia (Cancer-WHO 2014). Most cancer-related deaths occur in low-and middle-income countries, most likely because of delayed presentation [2]. Tobacco use, alcohol use, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity are the main worldwide risk factors for cancer.…”

“…Evidence suggests that a significant portion of the increase in cancer is due to several factors including poor awareness of the signs, symptoms, and risk factors for cancer; poor availability of tests or screening programs; and limited access to standard treatment [2,19]. A study reported that increasing a population's basic cancer knowledge is as important for controlling cancer as are diagnostic tools, screening, and new preventive approaches [18].…”

Knowledge of Cancer Risk Factors, Symptoms, and Barriers to Seeking Medical Help among Omani Adolescents

“…The internal reliability and test-retest reliability of CAM questionnaire was found to be high ). The CAM questionnaire was translated from English to Arabic and back-translated into English again by several people proficient in both languages, and the Arabic version of the CAM questionnaire has been used in previous studies conducted among adults in Oman (Al-Azri et al, 2014;Al-Azri et al. 2015;Al-Azri et al, 2016).…”