ASPO Abstracts
Uncertainty about oral cancer and the potential for social media interventions
Category: Behavioral Science & Health Communication
Conference Year: 2019
Abstract Body:
Purpose: To assess knowledge about oral cancer risks, symptoms, and screening among social media users and identify areas for intervention with a focus on smokersMethods: Residents of a Midwestern metropolitan area aged 18-65 were recruited via Facebook to take an online survey that assessed 12 validated oral cancer knowledge items, risk factors, and demographics. Associations between knowledge and smoking status were examined with Chi-square and ANOVA.Results: Of 285 participants analyzed, 66.7% were never smokers (NS), 16.8% were former smokers (FS), and 16.6% were current smokers (CS). There was no significant difference in overall oral cancer knowledge by smoking status. However, a large portion of respondents expressed uncertainty about risk factors, symptoms, and screening. There was uncertainty about the role of gender (43.5% unsure), drinking tea (33.7% unsure), and age (31.2% unsure) as risk factors. Respondents were uncertain about length of a screening exam (38.6% unsure) and if screening uses x-rays (46% unsure). A large portion also reported uncertainty about symptoms, including dizziness (56.9%), facial rash (55.8% unsure), painless ulcers (44.9% unsure), and persistent ulcers (30.2% unsure).Uncertainty varied by smoking status. Compared to NS, significantly more FS were unsure if dizziness (76.6% vs. 52.7%) or facial rash (72.9% vs. 51.1%) were oral cancer symptoms. Significantly more CS than FS identified painless ulcers as a symptom (57.4% vs. 31.9%). Importantly, significantly less CS knew that screening lasts only a few minutes compared to FS and NS (29.8%, 54.2%, 52.7% respectively).Conclusions: Uncertainty about oral cancer risks, symptoms, and screening was high in this population of Facebook users. Educational interventions aimed at reducing uncertainty may be a first step in increasing oral cancer prevention. The Community Guide recognizes digital media as an option for public health interventions, and social media has the potential to efficiently reach diverse populations. Thus, Facebook interventions may be one option to reduce uncertainty about oral cancer screening. Partnering such interventions with social media-based smoking cessation interventions may be an avenue for reaching individuals at higher-risk for oral cancer.
Keywords: oral cancer; prevention; social media; smoking