Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients (n = 175)
Variable | Number (%) |
|---|---|
Sex | |
Male | 173 (98.9) |
Female | 2 (1.1) |
Marital status | |
Living alone | 107 (61.1) |
Living with a partner | 68 (38.9) |
Educational level | |
Literacy | 3 (1.7) |
Elementary | 17 (9.7) |
Junior high | 41 (23.4) |
Senior high | 86 (49.1) |
College and above | 28 (16.0) |
Type of occupation | |
Unemployed | 17 (9.7) |
Unskilled/ semi-skilled worker | 15 (8.6) |
Skilled worker | 66 (37.7) |
Clerk, shop owner, farm owner | 35 (20.0) |
Semi-professional | 22 (12.6) |
Professional | 8 (4.6) |
Other | 12 (6.8) |
Religion | |
None | 48 (27.4) |
Buddhism/Taoism | 115 (65.7) |
Christianity/Catholicism | 10 (5.7) |
Other | 2 (1.2) |
Annual family income (NT$) | |
< 500,000 | 91 (52.0) |
≥ 500,000 | 84 (48.0) |
Smoking | |
Nil/ex-smoker | 37 (21.1) |
Current smoker | 138 (78.9) |
Drinking | |
Nil/ex-drinker | 53 (30.3) |
Current drinker | 122 (69.7) |
Time since chewing betel nut | |
< 10 years, < 20 amount/day | 34 (19.4) |
< 10 years, > 20 amount/day | 29 (16.6) |
> 10 years, < 20 amount/day | 55 (31.4) |
> 10 years, > 20 amount/day | 57 (32.6) |
Motivation for oral mucosal screening | |
Active screening | 31 (17.7) |
Family members advice | 19 (10.9) |
Doctor referral | 125 (71.4) |
Clinical presentation | |
Normal | 156 (89.1) |
Suspected oral cavity cancer | 9 (5.1) |
Unknown oral mass | 1 (0.6) |
Erythroplakia (red) | 2 (1.1) |
Erythroleukoplakia (red and white) | 1 (0.6) |
Thick homogeneous leukoplakia | 3 (1.7) |
Thin homogeneous leukoplakia | 1 (0.6) |
Oral ulcer | 2 (1.1) |