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Knowledge, awareness, attitudes and practice regarding oral potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer among health professional students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: a multicenter cross-sectional study

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) are known precursors of oral cancer (OC), and early detection of OPMDs is crucial for reducing disease-related morbidity and mortality. As future healthcare providers, health professional students must possess adequate knowledge and clinical preparedness for the prevention and early detection of OPMDs and OC. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and practices regarding OPMDs and OC among health professional students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methods A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students in medicine, dentistry, nursing, and applied medical sciences in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a culturally adapted and content-validated questionnaire derived from a previously validated instrument which consisted of 32 items. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, cluster analysis, and binary logistic regression were employed to examine factors associated with knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and practices. A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results A total of 456 students were included in the study. Two distinct knowledge clusters were identified, representing relatively higher and lower levels of knowledge regarding OPMDs and OC. Dental students showed higher proportions of knowledge, awareness, positive attitudes, and good clinical practices compared with other professional disciplines; however, these findings should be interpreted cautiously because the dental subgroup was small ( n = 23). Logistic regression showed higher odds of belonging to the higher knowledge cluster among dental students (OR = 12.67, 95% CI: 4.17–38.40, p < 0.001), although the wide confidence interval indicates imprecision. Higher knowledge was significantly associated with greater awareness (OR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.35–3.19, p = 0.001). High awareness and positive attitudes were also significantly associated with good clinical practices. Knowledge varied descriptively across the participating universities; however, the association did not reach conventional statistical significance in the present sample ( p = 0.057). Given the substantial imbalance in university sample sizes, this finding should not be interpreted as evidence of equivalent knowledge levels or the absence of institution-specific educational differences. Conclusions The findings demonstrated variation in knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and practices across different professional groups. Therefore, targeted educational interventions are essential to address these identified gaps.

Source: Frontiers in Oral Health

DOI: 10.3389/froh.2026.1942387