Awareness among Saudi Women about Cancer & Carcinogens

Rajyashree Basu, University Of Calcutta (Lady Brabourne College)

Saudi Arabia has seen a rise in cancer cases through the decades- between 1999 and 2015 the cases rose by 136%, and are predicted to rise by 63% by the year 2030.

The study in this discussion was aimed at exploring the knowledge of the general women in Saudi Arabia, regarding cancer and its carcinogens, to create a scientifically accurate, culturally appropriate cancer-awareness programme.

Questionnaire:

The electronic self-administered questionnaire was shared throughout social media platforms to reach (adult) female participants from all over the country. The level of awareness was assessed as a score out of 28, where higher scores indicate a higher level of awareness. A wide variety of women, from different age groups, backgrounds, and lifestyles were found to take the test. The most common/ preferred source of knowledge was the internet, after healthcare providers.

Data Analysis:

While many women were aware of causative agents such as radiation, pollution, smoking, alcoholism, etc., many had poor knowledge about the risk of contraceptive pills, sun exposure, and cell phones to make a few. Almost 70% of the participants considered cancer to be a major health risk because of its increasing incidence, lack of cure, lethal nature, and social stigmas surrounding it. 45% of participants believed envy or spiritual causes impose a risk for cancer.

It was seen that people were more aware of the chemical carcinogens, but very little awareness of physical ones like obesity and contraceptive pills, oncogenic viruses, and hair dyes. Older women were more aware of risk factors than younger women. Higher levels of education also showed a similar result.

Significance of the study:

Awareness of cancer and carcinogens is a serious issue as it affects recognition, timely diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of the disease. The socioeconomic status in the country improved drastically, making people live a more sedentary, luxurious lifestyle, including obesity and processed food intake. Hospital facilities and healthcare resources are being strained too, as the number of cases increases throughout the country.

This study showed that most Saudi women understand that cancer is a major yet preventable disease. Over half its participants acknowledged the increasing incidence of cancer, and are aware of the importance of psychological and social support for cancer patients. It was found that most participants recognized smoking as the most well-known risk factor. This might be due to it being culturally and religiously unacceptable in Muslims Gulf Arabian cultures, along with being the most campaigned risk factor.

Conclusion:

As educational material is best tangible through the internet and social media, this study could be used as a roadmap for awareness campaign programmes and future studies to improve the level of public awareness and strengthen screening programmes.

Also read: Ferroptosis and its novel role in cancer therapeutics

Reference:

1. Akkour, K., Alsuwaidan, S., Almoqren, M., Alsaleh, F., & Alghuson, L. (2022). An observational cross-sectional study on cancer awareness and beliefs about carcinogens among Saudi women. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(5), 2528. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052528

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