Head and Neck Cancer Symptoms and Risk Factors Awareness and Effectiveness of Educational Intervention for Underserved Populations

Objective To evaluate head and neck cancer (HNC) risk factors and symptoms (RFS) awareness, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates, and socioeconomic factors among an underserved population at a community free clinic, and to implement an adaptable educational intervention to address low awareness of HNC RFS. Study Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Community Free Clinic. Methods We surveyed patients participating in HNC screenings including their knowledge of HNC RFS, HPV vaccination status, patient demographics, and other pertinent questions. After the initial survey, volunteers used public available infographics by the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance to educate participants about HNC. A post-screening survey assessed short-term retention and understanding. Results Fifty-nine participants were included. Most had limited knowledge of HNC risk factors and symptoms, except for tobacco use. Only 11.9% were HPV-vaccinated, including 6.25% of 27-45-year-olds; 30% of participants had not heard about HPV and an additional 23.3% did not know a vaccine existed. Most participants were low-income, with 86.2% making under $50,000 a year (58.6% making under $25,000). Participants reported insurance status (42.3%) and other costs (25.8%) as barriers to seeking HNC screening. The education intervention significantly improved participants' ability to identify symptoms and risk factors (P < .0001 for all surveyed items), including HPV as a risk factor (P < .0001). Conclusion Our intervention successfully improved short-term knowledge of HNC RFS. The study revealed low HNC awareness, HPV awareness, and HPV vaccination rates among eligible, at-risk patients. This study outlines an implementable intervention to address low HNC awareness in underserved populations.