Awareness of Toxicological Impact and Risk of using Talcum Powder as a Factor for Ovarian Cancer among Women in three Metropolitan Cities of Southwestern States, Nigeria

Abstract

This study evaluated the public awareness level on the toxicological nature of talcum powder and the perceived risk of ovarian cancer among women in order to design effective interventions that will ultimately improve public health among all women in Nigeria. A risk perception survey was developed to capture the public awareness level about talcum powder as an emerging contaminant and risk of ovarian cancer, inquiring whether risk is viewed positively or negatively and the extent of worry or concern. A total of 300 questionnaires were administered and returned, analyzed and interpreted for policy decision making. Each questionnaire contains mostly Likert type questions featuring a set of risks with fixed response alternatives. Basic descriptive statistics was considered for explanatory variables: age, educational attainment and generalized risk sensitivity. Majority of respondents use talcum powder for different purposes. 28% of respondents use talcum powder for genital hygiene, out of which 42.86% use this cosmetic product on a daily basis. Poor level of awareness was generally observed as most respondents do not know whether talcum powder could be considered a potential risk factor for ovarian cancer. Majority (66.43%) were very concerned about the risk of ovarian cancer but perceived less risk for ovarian cancer when asked to compare risk with their respective age groups. Notably, poor level of awareness about the toxicological nature of talc and the relatively high level of perceived risk of developing ovarian cancer due to previous talc exposure was evident among respondents in our study.