Summary
The objective of this study was to determine the level of knowledge about oral cancer (OC) presented by undergraduate stomatology students. A cross-sectional observational study applied to a population sample of 184 students (24±3.09 years and 72.8 % women) from a private university in Lima from the sixth to tenth cycle who were enrolled in a clinical course (14.1 % of clinic V). A virtual and in-person questionnaire with 24 questions about OC was applied. The instrument was validated by expert judgment, it had a validity index of 0.96 (Aiken’s V) and reliability (KR-20) of 0.856 and ≥0.837 per item. The frequency of correct answers to the total number of questions was 56.6 %, being similar by sex and clinical course, but higher in those >30 years of age (60 %). The best-answered questions were the most frequent type (epidemiology), the related factor (diagnosis), and the prognostic factors (prevention). The dimensions best answered were in treatments and complications (72.2 %) and diagnosis (70.3 %) of CO. The level of knowledge about OC was regular (78.8 %). Neither dimensions, levels, nor scores were associated with age, sex, or clinical features (P>0.05). The students presented a regular level of knowledge about oral cancer, regardless of sex, age or the clinical course they studied.
KEY WORDS: oral cancer, knowledge, prevention.
How to cite this article
CÓRDOVA GARCÍA, Y.M.; AMASIFUEN CHOQUECAHUANA, R.; LECCA ROJAS, M.P.; FLORES DÍAZ, K. & CASTRO ROMERO, K. Level of knowledge of oral cancer among undergraduate students of stomatology at a private university in Lima. Int. J. Odontostomat., 18(2):176-182, 2024.
