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Authors: Tahir Azhar, Omar Hasan Kasule, et al. Written for the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Scientific Meeting held at the Adelaide Convention Center 29th November – 1st December 2000 by Prof Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB(MUK), MPH, DrPH (Harvard); Deputy Dean for Research and Post-graduate Affairs, UIA Faculty of Medicine, Kuantan MALAYSIA
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES and METHODS: This paper describes a intervention study carried out on a nation-wide sample of 1875 secondary school children who were given a baseline questionnaire KAP items covering knowledge and use of various cancer information sources. An intervention program was then carried out consisting of seminars, posters, brochures, and video shows. A follow-up questionnaire was administered 6 months following the intervention. Matched pair analysis using the MacNemar technique was used to identify KAP items that changed significantly after intervention. Conditional logistic regression suitable for matched data was used to identify interventions that independently predicted change of KAP.
RESULTS: At baseline, mass media were the most popular sources of cancer information: TV 79.4%, radio 84.1%, newspapers 93.1%, books 82.2%, magazines 88.3%, pamphlets and newsletters 62.1%, exhibitions and advertisements 81.4%. The other sources were: doctors 56.4%, nurses at health centers 36.1%, nurses in hospitals 33.5%, other health staff 32.3%, volunteer non-health staff 18.2%, neighbors 41.6%, friends 59.7%, religious leaders 21.1%, political or government leaders 21.4%, social clubs and social gatherings 26.5%. There were significant variations of cancer information source by gender, district of residence, ethnicity, and socio-economic status as measured by type of housing and the family monthly income. The repeat post-intervention questionnaire revealed no significant increase in reporting mass media as sources of information. There was a significant increase in the report of the rest of cancer information sources with the exception of neighbors and religious leaders. Specific interventions were found correlated with changes in specific cancer information sources.
CONCLUSION: This study is part of a larger effort to introduce cancer education modules in the secondary schools. Students at this stage start adopting life-styles that have life-long impact on health. They are also at a stage in their lives at which their attitudes and opinions are amenable to permanent change. This study has shown that specific interventions can change knowledge and practice.