STUDIES ON PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT THE OCCUPATIONAL RISK ON CANCER Antonina Cebulska-Wasilewska 1,2

1. STUDIES ON PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT THE OCCUPATIONAL RISK ON CANCER Antonina Cebulska-Wasilewska1,2 1Department of Radiation and Environmental Biology INP, Polish Academy of Science, ul Radzikowskiego 152, Kraków, Poland 2 Molecular Epidemiology Laboratory, Chair of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University

2. Introduction Objectives of the Electronic Trans-European Network (e-TEN) programs, conducted in European Union aim to diminish differences in life quality among participating countries. Research conducted in Western Europe has shown, that very often the general public is not aware of all the risk she is expose to. The improvement of life quality is expected viaimplementation of some informational services portals providing easy access to important information.

3. Aim of trial The EuroWorkSafe is one of e-TEN projects aiming to provide to the public the Europeansemantic portal on workplace safety and occupational cancer risk prevention • The EWS portal is containing carefully chosen and crucial for his topic: • complex information about cancer risk in working environment, • procedures or regulations concerning health hazard, and, that should be helpful to those under the potential or increased risk of cancer.

4. http:/euroworksafe.org Is coordinated:Gianni Viano, Stefano Bianci, Daniela Vecchio In the presented study participated also following members of the EWS group from Poland: Z.Drag , P.Karwacki, M.Kłosok, M.Krzysiek, R.Majewska,S.Krasnowolski, J.Miszczyk, J.Stefaniak. Participating institutions:

5. Our task,among others, and aim of this projectwas to estimate the concern of educated public in Poland, about its interests in occupational cancer risk and needs for accessibility to metabase. Aim of trial Presented study shows preliminary analysis of the surveyresults on cancer risk awareness,performed in a very special group of academic society: students from nine universities in the area of Central and Southern Poland.

6. Type of university Faculty Characteristic of the group Cancer risk awareness was investigated in a group of 1077 students (720 females, 343 males, 14 missing).

7. Methodology Questionnaires were distributed to volunteers under supervision of specialists in empiric sociology and feedback was collected and coded into the SPSS data base by members of trial group instructed and equipped with brief user guide.

8. Characteristic of the group The questionnaires about the health and cancer risk interest were directed to those young people, who: • on one hand, those people, in a couple of years, should become persons responsible for health protection: • for themselves, or • forother people in their work places. • On the other hand:

9. The use of the internet for searching any information needed for lectures and trainings at the University. internet at home (at the univeristy: 70.8% yes) Characteristic of the group That group, in general, should be no limited in the access to computer information sources.

10. limited Results Here is a percentage of responses to the question: How do you rank the level of your knowledge about the health risk associated with various harmful agents present in your environment (biological,chemical,physical)?

11. gender limited none. nd full . Missing Female Male Results Female students were more than males interested in theoccupational cancer risk, nevertheless, they self estimated their knowledge about that issue similarly (rather poor). Knowledge about carcinogenic agents dif. answer

12. Results Almost 73% responded that they should know more about hazardous agents in their environment More than 80% of students were interested in enlarging their knowledge in the field of occupational cancer

13. Results For the question: Do you know any portal with information about the occupational cancer risk? Response was:

14. Type of university technical & medical universities agricultural Total no Count 240 481 295 1016 % knows portal on 23,6% 47,3% 29,0% 100,0% occupational hazards? yes Count 8 9 8 25 % knows portal on 32,0% 36,0% 32,0% 100,0% occupational hazards? 248 490 303 1041 Total count 3,2% 1,8% 2,6% 100,0% % of yes Results Very few students know any portal about the occupational hazards ! Differences between types of universities in the level of knowledge the portal on occupational hazards (the best-medical, the worst-universities)

15. Results More than fifty percents of responderswould accept an occupational risk in their work places.

16. Results Few more percentage would accept such a job under conditions of getting more knowledge about prevention. and more than 91% of responders expressed the need for the access to the portal like:

17. . Response to the question: Do you see necessity of creation such a portal ? (i.e. EWS) Question: Do you see necessity of creation such a portal i.e. EWS ?

18. No opinion I disagree No opinion I disagree 20.0% I totally disagr 30.8% 7.7% 4.6% 4.6% nd I totally disagree 3.1% 1.5% 7.7% 10.8% I totally agree 56.9% 52.3% I totally agree I agree I agree EuroWorksafe covers all key areas of occupational cancer Validation trial Here are some results from the Euroworksafe portal validation trial performed in a group of academic staff in Poland EuroWorksafe website is fast.

19. Conclusions Preliminary results show that there is a strong need for: • higher level of education about the envirnmental and occupational cancer risk • better education about the internet acces metabases on envirnmental and occupational cancer risk data • portal like Euroworksafe

20. Trials Thank you for your attention