Educational intervention on oral cancer in high-risk patients between 35-59 years

Abstract

Introduction: mortality from oropharyngeal cancer ranked tenth among cancer types in Cuba in 2020 and 2021. Objective: to implement an educational intervention on oral cancer in high-risk patients between 35-59 years old. Method: an educational intervention with a quasi-experimental design, before-after type, was carried out in consulting room 19, La Demajagua, Isla de la Juventud between April-September 2023. The population was 126 patients, the sample being made up of 80 at high risk of oral cancer. Theoretical, empirical and mathematical-statistical methods were used and the variables were used: risk to predict oral cancer, risk factors, oral hygiene, teaching aids and level of knowledge about oral cancer, oral hygiene, risk factors and oral self-examination. Results: the risk of suffering from oral cancer was high in 63 % of the patients between 35-59 years old in the study office. Before the intervention, bad knowledge predominated, representing 48,7 % of the sample, managing to raise it to good after the intervention by 96,3 % . The Wilcoxon test demonstrated highly significant differences. Conclusions: the main risk factors were: poor oral hygiene, smoking, consumption of hot or spicy foods and stress. The use of the website contributed to raising knowledge about oral cancer, the main risk factors associated with its appearance and oral self-examination, allowing the transformation of modes of action and the evaluation of the educational intervention implemented in high-risk patients between 35 and 35 years old as satisfactory.