Knowledge, attitude, and practices of areca nut and betel quid chewing among the adult population – A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: The use of areca nut also known as supari or chaali is an age-old tradition and very popular in people living in South Asian countries. However, in general, people know very little about its ill effects. Aims: This study aimed to examine knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the health risks associated with chewing areca nuts and betel quid among the adult population and to evaluate the knowledge about its possible role as a contributing factor in oral cancer among the adult population. Materials and Methods: The unicentric cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1644 adult subjects belonging to the adult population of Aligarh and nearby places between March 2021 and December 2021. We analyzed the data using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22. Results: The overall average age of the participants was 39.32 ± 14.18. The male-to-female ratio was 2:1. Among the study subjects, 54% were betel nut or betel quid chewers. Only 30.8% knew that areca nut may cause oral cancer and with low knowledge related to its systematic effect. Conclusion: Areca nut is a known carcinogenic agent and carries the risk of cancer even if it is used alone. However, information about the systemic ill effect especially its carcinogenic effect is very low among the general population.