Educational intervention on oral cancer for smokers who attend Counseling consultation. Alcides Pino, 2018-2019

Abstract

Introduction: Smoking is one of the main risk factors that influences oral cancer, so it is necessary to educate patients about the relationship between them to reduce this habit.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention on oral cancer for smoking patients who attend Oral Health Counseling consultation.

Methods: A quasi-experimental intervention study was carried out at the Oral Health Counseling consultation of Alcides Pino Polyclinic, in the period from May, 2018 to May, 2019. The universe consisted of 65 smoking patients who were treated in this consultation, working with all of them, that met inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results: Male sex predominated (81.53%), in the age range 47 to 52 years (52.32%). The level of knowledge about the effects of smoking in the oral mucosa increased positively, an 89.2%. Before the program was applied, 78.4% had inadequate knowledge about oral cancer prevention measures; then, it increased to 95.4%. Initially, 46.2% presented inappropriate general knowledge on the subject; after the intervention, there was a positive increase of 73.9%.

Conclusions: The cognitive level of oral cancer and its relationship with smoking was inadequate before carrying out the educational intervention. After applying it, all the patients favorably modified their knowledge, which proved the effectiveness of the program.