Health Seeking Behavior of Oral Cancer Patients of Low Socioeconomic Status: A cross sectional study in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Karachi

Authors

  • Tariq Zahid Department of ENT, Civil Hospital Karachi and Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan.
  • Syed Iqbal Hussain Department of ENT, Civil Hospital Karachi and Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan.
  • Atif Hafeez Siddiqui Department of ENT, Civil Hospital Karachi and Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan.
  • Syeda Tehmina Junaid Department of ENT, Civil Hospital Karachi and Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan.
  • Zeba Ahmed Department of ENT, Civil Hospital Karachi and Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan.
  • Muhammad Muslim Noorani Medical Student, Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan

Keywords:

Oral cancer, behavior, gutka, betel nut, low socioeconomic status

Abstract

Purpose:

To assess the knowledge, behavior and practices of oral cancer patients of low socioeconomic statusin our population.

Method:

This cross sectional study was conducted in Department of Otolaryngology Unit 1 and 2 of Civil Hospital, Karachi between August 2011 to August 2012. Only those cases were included in the studies whose diagnosis of oral cancer was confirmed by histopathological investigation. Questionnaire was designed and filled by investigators after validation and reliability assessment. Statistical Package for Social SciencesWindows version 17 was used for database assembly and analysis.

Result:

The mean age was found to be 48.3 ± 7.3 years with 119 males and 71 females (male to female ratio1.7:1). Most patients (82.1%) were of low socioeconomic status. From 190 cases, 88.9% admitted consumption of carcinogenic agents. Most patients (66.8%) used Gutka. Most patients (42.1%) presented with the lesion in the oral cavity. More than half (56.8%) first visited a doctor near their home, after appearance of symptom. Consultation to a doctor in any hospital, including the study center was reported by 35 (18.4%) of the cases. The mean disease appraisal time was 36.6±11.2 days. The mean illness time was 126.7±37.6 days. The mean behavioral time was 18.3±5.9 days. The mean scheduling time was 0.26±0.09

Conclusion:

In our population of low SES patients, we report poor knowledge status and dangerous practices of consumption of carcinogens. The patient health seeking behavior is related to their educational status. Most patients delay seeking help due to lack of awareness about the severity of symptoms. 

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Journal of the Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi 2014, Vol. 8 (2): 72-79

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Published

2014-08-25

How to Cite

Zahid, T. ., Iqbal Hussain, S. ., Hafeez Siddiqui, A. ., Tehmina Junaid, S. ., Ahmed, Z. ., & Muslim Noorani, M. . (2014). Health Seeking Behavior of Oral Cancer Patients of Low Socioeconomic Status: A cross sectional study in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Karachi. Journal of the Dow University of Health Sciences (JDUHS), 8(2), 72–79. Retrieved from https://jduhs.jduhs.duhs.edu.pk/index.php/jduhs/article/view/1455

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