Awareness of lung cancer and its risk factors among population of Bisha region

Abstract

Background: Regarding to its case fatality rate in 2020, lung cancer is the leading cause of death among all types of cancers globally. Most of the risk factors that led to lung cancer were avoidable. The awareness of lung cancer among population of Bisha region were not explored before. This study aimed to assess the awareness of lung cancer and its risk factors, and its association with sociodemographic factors among Bisha population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January 16, and February 15, 2022 among 376 Saudi adults living in Bisha region. The data were collected by using a self-administered questionnaire which was developed by using Google forms and distributed online. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 26. The descriptive statistics were represented with frequencies, and percentages. Chi-square (χ2) analysis and fisher exact test were used to compare categorical variables between the subgroups. Results: This study shows high level of awareness of lung cancer and its risk factors among the participants (93.4%). Analysis of sociodemographic factors associated with high level of awareness showed the awareness among females was better than in males (p=0.006), and the awareness among those who never smoked was higher than those who did smoke before (p=0.001). Conclusions: The level of community awareness was high about lung cancer and its risk factors. Health promotion programs significantly influence the level of awareness, and we recommend these programs to be continued.