CANCER KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEFS OF NONE-MEDICAL STUDENTS IN UAE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

The present study was designed to assess cancer knowledge and beliefs among none medical university students. A represented sample of non-medical university students was enrolled in the study. A descriptive quantitative survey was the study tool. The developed questionnaire was designed to be interview-administrated and SPSS 24 was used in data analysis. A correlation analysis was performed to test association. Independent t-test was applied to determine which factors might affect the knowledge score. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Ninety percent had a good knowledge score of cancer preventable risk factors, while 10.0% had poor knowledge score. Ninety-four percent considered that smoking is a cancer risk factor. Eighty-four percent of the participants are afraid of cancer. Early detection was the main selected factor (61.55%) to achieve a cure for cancer in the beliefs of the respondents. None-medical undergraduate university students in UAE have high knowledge of cancer preventable risk factors. The study revealed that emotional barriers might affect the early detection negatively. There is a critical need to maintain the high knowledge level of cancer risk factors, as having more public awareness will lead to less exposure to risk factors and better protection against the disease.