| 3921 North Carolina Dental Hygienists' Oral Cancer Knowledge, Practices and Opinions | ||
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T.E. ASHE1, L.L. PATTON1, J.R. ELTER1, J.H. SOUTHERLAND1, R.P. STRAUSS1, and R. MUMFORD2, 1University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA, 2North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh, USA Given the increasing 10 year incidence of oral and pharyngeal cancer in North Carolina (NC), all health care providers must participate in risk reduction and early detection efforts. Objective: To assess NC dental hygienists' (DHs) knowledge of oral cancer (OC) risk factors (RFs), signs and symptoms, and opinions and practices regarding OC examinations. Methods: A 40-item survey was mailed to a simple random sample of 1,223 DHs from a registry of 4,076 licensed in NC. Data from 651 completed surveys (effective RR=57%) were entered and analyzed in EpiInfo 2002. Results: Most correctly identified tobacco (99%) and alcohol (87%) use, fewer identified human papilloma virus (47%) and low consumption of fruits and vegetables (27%), and many incorrectly identified poor fitting dentures (72%) as OC RFs. Erythroplakia and leukoplakia were identified by 71% as the 2 conditions most associated with OC, and 52% identified the tongue and floor of mouth as the 2 most common sites for OC. Many (76%) indicated the patient as asymptomatic in early OC and correctly identified the appearance and feel of early OC lesions (74%) and lymph nodes (65%). Some agreed their knowledge of OC was current (48%) and felt adequately trained to examine patients for OC (58%); 68% strongly agreed they were comfortable referring patients with suspicious lesions. Only a few agreed their patients were knowledgeable about OC RFs (30%) and signs and symptoms (20%), and only 31% and 14% agreed they were adequately trained to provide tobacco and alcohol cessation education, respectively. Most reported assessment of patients' present tobacco use (92%) in medical histories, but only 55% assessed present alcohol use. Conclusions: There is a need for increased education regarding OC RFs, signs and symptoms, and risk assessment among DHs in NC. Tobacco and alcohol cessation education would benefit both providers and their patients. | ||
| Seq #397 - Epidemiology and Service Utilization 12:30 PM-2:30 PM, Saturday, 13 March 2004 Hawaii Convention Center 323-A | ||
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