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

PURPOSE: Misconceptions 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. METHODS: A 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. RESULTS: Participants 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). CONCLUSIONS: Misconceptions 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.