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Prevalence and Associated Factors of Betel Quid Use in the Solomon Islands: A Hyperendemic Area for Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer

Chewing betel quid is a popular habit in tropical areas. It is also a known fact that oral cancer is one of the most common cancers in the Solomon Islands, where betel quid chewing is prevalent. This study explores the prevalence of betel quid chewing in the Solomon Islands and related sociodemographic factors. A community-based survey was designed for the entire Solomon Islands people. Information on sociodemographic characteristics, habits of betel quid chewing, smoking, and drinking was collected by trained interviewers with a standard questionnaire. The prevalence of betel quid chewers, smokers, and drinkers was 76.8%, 53.0%, and 36.8%, respectively. Betel quid use was closely associated with smoking (aOR = 3.95; 95% CI: 1.87–8.33). Seventh-Day Adventist subjects were less likely to chew betel quid (aOR = 0.08; 95% CI: 0.04–0.18). Efforts to reduce habitual betel quid consumption and smoking might be of benefit in reduction of oral cancer incidence.

Received March 13, 2007. Accepted for publication May 2, 2007.

Financial support: This study was supported by Grant NHRI-EO–095–PP–08 from the National Health Research Institutes.

^* Address correspondence to Ying-Chin Ko, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Shih-Chuan 1st Road, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. E-mail: ycko{at}nhri.org.tw

Authors’ addresses: Silent Tovosia, National Referral Hospital, Ministry of Health and Medical Services, the Solomon Islands. Ping-Ho Chen, Pei-Chien Tsai, and Ying-Chin Ko, Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, National Health Research Institutes, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Allen Min-Jen Ko³, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, Australia. Hung-Pin Tu, and Ying-Chin Ko, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Reprint requests: Ying-Chin Ko, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Telephone: 886–7–3114418, Fax: 886–7–3162725, E-mail: ycko{at}kmu.edu.tw.