Abstract B12: Betel nut use and oral cancer in a high-risk refugee community in the United States: The effectiveness of an awareness initiative

Introduction: Betel nut (BN) is a psychoactive substance that is commonly used in Asian cultures, including among members of the refugee resettlement area of Clarkston, GA. While the association between chronic BN mastication and oral cancer has been established, these health consequences may not be appreciated by users in these communities. Our objective is to investigate patient awareness of BN health risks and to assess the efficacy of a pilot visually guided educational initiative. Methods: Patients from two clinics in Clarkston, GA were approached for the study. Patients who reported familiarity with BN (familiar cohort) were administered a pilot visually guided survey on BN usage and health risks; subsequently, an illustrated educational brochure was reviewed, and a post-test was administered. Patients who denied familiarity with BN (unfamiliar cohort) were administered another baseline survey followed by the same educational brochure and post-test survey. Results were analyzed using univariate regression and Chi-squared analyses (STATA 12, College Station, TX). Results: 48 patients were surveyed for the familiar cohort and 25 for the unfamiliar cohort. Among the familiar cohort, the largest ethnic group was South Asians (71%) followed by Southeast Asians (20%). 42.8% reported social use, 28.6% reported usage during celebrations only, and 28.6% reported daily use. The most common reasons for use were for taste (40.9%), enjoyment (38.6%), addiction (25%), and tradition (18.2%). Among the familiar cohort, 75% believed BN was harmful for health compared to 8% among the unfamiliar cohort (p