Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of General Practitioners regarding Oral Cancer in Tehran

Fatemeh Zarei; Katayoun  Sargeran; Zeinabsadat  Razavian

doi:10.18502/jchr.v12i19.13661

Fatemeh Zarei Department of Restorative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Hamedan University of Medical Sciences, Hamedan, Iran
Katayoun Sargeran Department of Community Oral Health, School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Zeinabsadat Razavian Department of Community Oral Health, School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jchr.v12i19.13661

Keywords: Mouth Cancer, General Practitioners, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice

Abstract

Background: General practitioners (GPs) are the primary examiners of patients suspected of oral cavity cancer. The present study aims to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice of general practitioners regarding oral cancer in Tehran.

Methods: A 17-item questionnaire was applied to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of general practitioners in this cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study, in 2019. The questionnaires were completed by 154 GPs participating in different medical congresses. Data were analyzed with a linear regression model using SPSS-25. P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Of 154 GPs, 44.8% were female with a mean age of 44.5 ± 13.3, mean clinical experience of 14.6 ± 11.6 years, and mean time of 16.9 ± 12.1 years elapsed from graduation. Age, sex, and marital status had no significant association with knowledge, attitude, and practice; however, the time elapsed from graduation had a significant indirect association with knowledge (p = 0.04), and mean clinical experience had a significant direct association with attitude towards oral cancer (p = 0.04).

Conclusion: Educational interventions are required to improve the GPs’ knowledge and practice to improve the early diagnosis and prevention of oral cancer.