Indian J Occup Environ Med. 2023 Jul-Sep;27(3):226-228. doi: 10.4103/ijoem.ijoem_255_22. Epub 2023 Jul 14.

ABSTRACT

CONTEXT: In India fishing is a traditional occupation second only to agriculture. Fishermen are a marginalized group with high levels of occupational stress predisposing them to develop addictions to tobacco, alcohol, and areca nut chewing. These habits are well-established causes of developing oral potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer.

AIMS: To determine the prevalence of oral potentially malignant disorders among the fishermen population in and around Pondicherry.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.

METHODS AND MATERIAL: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire to assess the prevalence of oral potentially malignant disorders among the fishermen population in and around Pondicherry.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Descriptive statistics were used with Pearson’s correlation.

RESULTS: The study showed 24.8% of fishermen consumed tobacco, and 7.3% consumed both tobacco and alcohol. Oral potentially malignant disorders were seen in 16.79% of the population.

CONCLUSIONS: The fishermen had a higher rate of addictions to tobacco, alcohol, and areca nut chewing and a higher prevalence of oral potentially malignant disorders.

PMID:38047179 | PMC:PMC10691522 | DOI:10.4103/ijoem.ijoem_255_22