Do College Freshmen Know about Head and Neck Cancer and its Risk Factors? Experience from Gwadabawa, Nigeria

Background: Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a notorious killer disease. Globally, more than 55,000 people are newly diagnosed to have the disease. Knowledge of disease among the public goes a long way in its prevention in society. Hence, this study aimed to explore the knowledge level of college freshmen on HNC disease and its risk factors. Methods: This study surveyed 224 college freshmen of the Sultan Abdur-Rahaman School of Health Technology, Gwadabawa, Sokoto State, Nigeria, on HNC disease and its risk factors, using an anonymous questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using the SPSS version 20 software. Results: The mean (+/- SD) age of the respondents was 22.04 (+/- 3.42) years. Only one-third (68/224, 30.4%) of the respondents were aware of HNC disease. However, amidst other findings, less than four-tenth of these respondents, who categorically claimed awareness of HNC, actually knew the: risk factors; commonly affected age and gender; commonly affected anatomical site and prognosis of the disease. Conclusion: The surveyed freshmen lacked adequate knowledge of HNC disease. This reveals the urgent need to educate them, and by extension, the entire population on HNC disease. Through effective HNC education programs, the incidence rate of HNC can be brought down to the barest minimum, as more people will be made knowledgeable about how they can prevent the disease from developing.