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. 2025 Jan 2;64(1):14-23.
doi: 10.2478/sjph-2025-0003. eCollection 2025 Mar.

Cancer Risk Factors Awareness in Slovenian Adolescents

Katja Jarm  1   2   3 , Eva Šajn  4 , Enej Hadžić  4 , Gregor Jurak  5 , Mateja Krajc  1   2   3 , Urška Ivanuš  1   3   6 , Jasna But-Hadžić  1   6
Affiliations

Cancer Risk Factors Awareness in Slovenian Adolescents

Katja Jarm et al. Zdr Varst. .

Abstract
in English, Slovenian

Aim: To evaluate Slovenian adolescents' awareness of common cancer risk and protective factors, identifying knowledge gaps to develop targeted health education initiatives.

Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 795 students aged 13 to 19 years in primary and secondary schools in Slovenia. The responses were analysed using descriptive and analytical statistics. The relationship between educational level, age and gender and awareness of selected cancer risk factors was analysed performing univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

Results: Overall, adolescents demonstrated good awareness of certain risk factors such as smoking (98%), sun exposure (90%) and physical activity (87%). Significant knowledge gaps were identified regarding dietary factors. While 49% recognized red meat consumption as a risk factor, knowledge of protective fruit and vegetable consumption and alcohol consumption as a risk was relatively low at 14% and 38%, respectively. Gender differences were found, with boys better at recognising smoking (p=0.025) and girls better at recognising alcohol (p<0.001). Older students were less aware of the importance of fruit and vegetable consumption (p<0.001), and secondary school students were less aware of the importance of healthy body mass, red meat and alcohol consumption (all p<0.001).

Conclusion: Slovenian adolescents have varied knowledge of cancer risks, showing both strengths and areas for improvement in preventive education. We have identified important gaps in knowledge about diet and alcohol consumption, particularly among older, secondary school students and boys, where targeted interventions can have a major impact on promoting healthier lifestyles and reducing future cancer risks.

Namen: Namen raziskave je bil oceniti ozaveščenost slovenskih mladostnikov o najpogostejših nevarnostnih in zaščitnih dejavnikih raka ter ugotoviti vrzeli v znanju za razvoj ciljno usmerjenih intervencij zdravstvene vzgoje.

Metode: S pomočjo vprašalnika o nevarnostnih dejavnikih je bila izvedena presečna raziskava med 795 učenci osnovnih in srednjih šol v Sloveniji, starimi od 13 do 19 let. Odgovori so bili analizirani z opisno in analitično statistiko (univariatna in multivariatna logistična regresija), ocenjeno je bilo splošno poznavanje dejavnikov in proučene povezave s starostjo, spolom in ravnijo izobrazbe.

Rezultati: Na splošno so mladostniki pokazali dobro ozaveščenost o nekaterih nevarnostnih in zaščitnih dejavnikih, kot so kajenje (98 %), izpostavljenost soncu (90 %) in telesna dejavnost (87 %). Precejšnje vrzeli v znanju so bile ugotovljene zlasti glede prehranskih nevarnostnih dejavnikov. Medtem ko je 49 % vprašanih prepoznalo uživanje rdečega mesa kot nevarnostni dejavnik, je samo 14 % mladostnikov prepoznalo pomen uživanja sadja in zelenjave ter 38 % nevarnost pitja alkohola. Ugotovljene so bile razlike med spoloma, pri čemer so fantje bolje prepoznali kajenje (p = 0,025), dekleta pa pitje alkohola (p < 0,001). Starejši učenci so manj poznali pomen uživanja sadja in zelenjave (p < 0,001), učenci v srednjih šolah pa so slabše poznali pomen normalne telesne mase ter uživanja rdečega mesa in pitja alkohola (p < 0,001).

Zaključki: Slovenski mladostniki imajo različno znanje o tveganjih za nastanek raka, kar kaže tako na prednosti kot na področja, ki jih je treba izboljšati na področju preventivnega izobraževanja. Ugotovili smo pomembne vrzeli v znanju o prehrani in pitju alkohola, zlasti med starejšimi, srednješolci in fanti, kjer lahko ciljno usmerjeni ukrepi pomembno vplivajo na spodbujanje zdravega življenjskega sloga in zmanjšanje tveganja za nastanek raka v prihodnosti.

Keywords: Adolescents; Alcohol consumption; Cancer risk factors; Health education; Physical activity; Prevention awareness.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The authors declare that no conflicts of interest exist.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Study flowchart.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Mean overall cancer risk knowledge scores for Slovenian boys and girls of different ages.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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