ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There is a substantial rise in the incidence of cancer in Saudi Arabia. Life style models and lack of awareness are the prime suspect in this substantial increase. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to assess the relationship between lifestyle and cancer in a population-based Survey in Northern Saudi Arabia. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study was conducted in North Saudi Arabia (Hail Region). Data was collected as a part of a community based cancer's awareness movement that covered an area inhibited with approximately 500,000 individuals. RESULTS: In this study, about 2558/3227 (79.3%) and 641/794 (80.7%) believed that tobacco smoking and smokeless are not a risk of cancer development. In this study large section (87.2%) of the study population believe that exposure to diverse occupational or non-occupational chemicals has no role in cancer development. Furthermore, around 59% of the study subjects in the current study believed that repeated exposure to insecticidal chemicals doesn't influence the risk of cancer. CONCLUSION: The present study point to the urgent need for awareness educational programs and preventive measures towards may lifestyle factors that can increase or decrease the overall risk of cancer among Saudi population.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess cancer awareness among medical students in Saudi Arabia toward tobacco and alcohol use as risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey from October to December 2014, covering 1200 medical students, was performed. RESULTS: Of the total, 975 (81.25%) responded. The male to female ratio was 1.00:7.125. 96/975 (9.8%) had smoked tobacco in their lifetime, and 51/975 (5.23%) were alcoholic beverage consumers. On asking them whether tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption can cause cancer, only 4/975 (0.4%) and 14/975 (1.43%) answered no for smoking and alcohol, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of smoking and alcohol use is very low among medical students, which might be due to high female contribution besides social stigma. The prevalence of second-hand smoke (SHS) was found to be very high in Hail region.
