Publication:

Knowledge, attitude, and practices of chewing areca nut among rural based community of Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh: a cross-sectional study

Background Chewing areca (betel) nut ranks among the top five traditional oral habits worldwide. It contains several alkaloids from the pyridine group, with arecoline being the most significant. Nitrosated derivatives of arecal alkaloids are linked to cancer risk. Globally, it is the fourth most prevalent psychoactive substance and is classified as a group-1 carcinogen. Objectives were to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to betel nut chewing among residents in and around Putlampalli village in the Kadapa district.

Methods A questionnaire, developed by Khan et al along with informed consent, was used as the instrument. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 285 participants, featuring 28 questions to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of betel nut chewing in the rural areas of the Kadapa district.

Results Among the 285 participants, 84.9% were females. The 26% believed that chewing betel nut is not harmful to health, while 30% acknowledged that it can cause throat cancer. Additionally, 17% did not consider betel nut chewing addictive, 71% were willing to quit the habit, whereas 29% were not. Furthermore, 63% reported using betel nut once every four weeks, and 3% chewed it daily. A significant 70% learned to chew betel nut from family members, while 20.7% and 2.1% learned from advertisements and tradition, respectively.

Conclusions A higher percentage of women consume betel nut compared to men. Most individuals learn the habit from family members. The risk of oral cancer increases when the quid contains tobacco. Periodic screening and awareness programs are recommended.