Prevalence of actinic cheilitis in Brazilian semi-arid region farmers
Introduction: Actinic cheilitis is an inflammatory, potentially malignant lesion associated with excessive sun exposure. Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of actinic cheilitis in a group of farmers, as well as the perception and knowledge of that group about this lesion. Methods: The observati...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Editorial Ciencias Médicas
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Revista Cubana de Estomatología |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://revestomatologia.sld.cu/index.php/est/article/view/3354 |
| Summary: | Introduction: Actinic cheilitis is an inflammatory, potentially malignant lesion associated with excessive sun exposure.
Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of actinic cheilitis in a group of farmers, as well as the perception and knowledge of that group about this lesion.
Methods: The observational epidemiological study included Brazilian semi-arid region farmers. The sample was obtained for accessibility to this population and a total of 219 farmers was reached. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data in addition to the intraoral physical examination.
Results: Actinic cheilitis was diagnosed in 30.6% of the examined farmers. The lesion was found more frequently in males (86.6%), older than 60 years (64.2%), and leukoderma (58.2%). Most individuals with actinic cheilitis were exposed to solar radiation for more than 30 years (65.7%), for more than 6 hours a day (73.1%), and did not adequately protect themselves (94%). Sex, age, education level, drinking habits, and time of sun exposure had a statistically significant correlation with the presence of actinic cheilitis (p <0.05). It was found that 76.1% of the participants did not notice signs and 61.2% did not perceive symptoms of this injury. Knowledge about actinic cheilitis was low for 97% of individuals with the lesion.
Conclusions: The results showed a high prevalence of actinic cheilitis, in addition to low perception and knowledge about it, which indicates the need for health education actions. |
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| ISSN: | 0034-7507 1561-297X |