Objective: This research aimed to study the willingness to participate in oral
screening among high risk people who have practiced long term smoking and betel
quid chewing in one Muslim predominant community in Narathiwat province,
Thailand.
Method: This cross-sectional study adopted five distinctive variables of the Health
Belief Model Theory in explaining the willingness to participate in oral screening. A
total of 255 high risk adults 40 years of age or older were sampled by stratified
random method according to their habits of smoking, chewing and both habits. A
questionnaire-based interview was used to collect data.
Results: The participants were 65.5% males. The mean age was 63.1 (SD = 11.7)
years, ranging from 41 - 93 years. There were 52.1% smokers, 16.5% chewers and
31.4% practicing both habits. Most of them reported never having an oral screening
experience (99.2%) yet were willing to take the screening (89.8%). Participants
willing to participate in oral screening had significantly higher knowledge regarding
oral cancer risk factors than the unwilling individuals (p < 0.05). The study also
proved that the willingness to participate in oral screening among high risk people
significantly related to their perceived barriers and self-efficacy (both chi-square pvalues,
<0.001).
Conclusion: The willingness to take oral screening among high risk people in the
study was of a satisfactory level. The significant factors relating to willingness were
knowledge, perceived barriers and self-efficacy. The results from this study could be
applied in a strategy plan to promote willingness to participate in oral cancer
screening.