Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42726287›Full record

ArticleCancer causes & control : CCC2026

Awareness of the mythical causes of cancer in central Uganda: a community cross-sectional survey.

Nicholas Matovu, Helen G Coleman, Gerald Mutungi, Michael Donnelly, Brian T Johnston, Maurice B Loughrey, Alfred Jatho, Noleb M Mugisha, Charlene M McShane

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Article in Cancer causes & control : CCC, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Nicholas MatovuCenter for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK. n.matovu@qub.ac.uk.
Helen G ColemanCenter for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Gerald MutungiDepartment of Non-Communicable Diseases, Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda.
Michael DonnellyCenter for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Brian T JohnstonDeartment of Gastroenterology, Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, Belfast, UK.
Maurice B LoughreyCenter for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Alfred JathoUganda Cancer Institute, Kampala, Uganda.
Noleb M MugishaUganda Cancer Institute, Kampala, Uganda.
Charlene M McShaneCenter for Public Health, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeMisconceptions about cancer causes may undermine prevention efforts, yet they remain poorly studied in Africa. This study assessed awareness of mythical cancer causes among adults in central Uganda.

methodsA community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 428 adults (≥ 18 years) in central Uganda using multistage random sampling. Participants completed a modified Cancer Awareness Measure-Mythical Causes Scale. Good awareness was defined as correctly identifying at least 10 of 20 mythical causes. Descriptive and non-parametric analyses examined awareness and associated factors.

resultsParticipants had a mean age of 36.5 ± 14.5 years, and 61.2% were female. Awareness of mythical cancer causes was extremely low; only 1.6% correctly identified at least half of the items, with a mean score of 2.4/20 (12%). The most commonly endorsed myth was that "eating food cooked in a polythene bag" causes cancer (95.3%). Lower awareness was associated with older age, being married, and lower education, while having a relative with cancer was associated with better recognition of myths (p < 0.05).

conclusionsMisconceptions about cancer causes were widespread in this Ugandan population. Cancer awareness initiatives should promote evidence-based risk factors while dispelling common myths, particularly among older and less-educated populations, to strengthen cancer prevention.

Indexed as

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeNeoplasmsAdolescentAdultAwarenessCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesUgandaYoung AdultCancer awarenessCancer preventionMythical causesUganda

Identifiers

PMID42726287
PMCPMC13569581

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.