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Volume 17
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10.3390/ijerph17092984
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Article

Assessing the Knowledge of Environmental Risk Factors for Cancer among the UAE Population: A Pilot Study

by
Samrein B.M. Ahmed
1,2,*,
Sara Amer
1,
Amal Hussein
1,
Drishti D. Kampani
1,
Nour Al Hasham
1,
Mohamed M. Assker
1,
Nour Shawa
2,
Dima Saleh
1 and
Khalid O. Alfarouk
3
1
College of medicine, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, UAE
2
Sharjah Institute for Medical Research, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, UAE
3
Alfarouk Biomedical Research LLC, Temple Terrace, FL 33617, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(9), 2984; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17092984
Submission received: 14 April 2020 / Revised: 20 April 2020 / Accepted: 22 April 2020 / Published: 25 April 2020
(This article belongs to the Section Environmental Health)
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Abstract

The incidence of cancer is increasing worldwide as well as in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Currently, researchers are advocating not only for prevention programs but also for early detection. In this study, we aimed to assess the general awareness of cancer among the UAE population, with a focus on environmental risk factors. A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed, and a structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 385 participants. A total of 91.2% of the study population identified cancer as the leading cause of death, while 64.6% of the subjects were able to identify the key causes of cancer. A total of 87.3% and 70.5% of the participants were able to define tobacco and alcohol, respectively, as cancer-causing agents. Most of the study population failed to identify cancer-related infectious agents and incense smoke as carcinogens. Respondents in the medical professions had the highest knowledge score when compared with respondents with a non-medical profession and unemployed participants (p < 0.0005). To fill the gaps in cancer-related knowledge, participants were asked about their preferred method for cancer education, and 83.9% of the participants favored the media as a source of information. Conclusively, our findings indicated a gap in cancer knowledge among UAE residents, which highlights the importance of educational campaigns by health authorities; a follow-up study evaluating the success of educational campaigns is also warranted.
Keywords: cancer; environment; risk factors; UAE population; knowledge cancer; environment; risk factors; UAE population; knowledge

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MDPI and ACS Style

Ahmed, S.B.M.; Amer, S.; Hussein, A.; Kampani, D.D.; Al Hasham, N.; Assker, M.M.; Shawa, N.; Saleh, D.; Alfarouk, K.O. Assessing the Knowledge of Environmental Risk Factors for Cancer among the UAE Population: A Pilot Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 2984. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17092984

AMA Style

Ahmed SBM, Amer S, Hussein A, Kampani DD, Al Hasham N, Assker MM, Shawa N, Saleh D, Alfarouk KO. Assessing the Knowledge of Environmental Risk Factors for Cancer among the UAE Population: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(9):2984. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17092984

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ahmed, Samrein B.M., Sara Amer, Amal Hussein, Drishti D. Kampani, Nour Al Hasham, Mohamed M. Assker, Nour Shawa, Dima Saleh, and Khalid O. Alfarouk. 2020. "Assessing the Knowledge of Environmental Risk Factors for Cancer among the UAE Population: A Pilot Study" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 9: 2984. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17092984

APA Style

Ahmed, S. B. M., Amer, S., Hussein, A., Kampani, D. D., Al Hasham, N., Assker, M. M., Shawa, N., Saleh, D., & Alfarouk, K. O. (2020). Assessing the Knowledge of Environmental Risk Factors for Cancer among the UAE Population: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(9), 2984. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17092984

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