A Cross-Sectional Study on the Knowledge and Awareness of Lung Cancer and Screening in Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia [Letter]

Dear editor

We are writing to provide a response to the article titled “A Cross-Sectional Study on the Knowledge and Awareness of Lung Cancer and Screening in Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia”. The study conducted by Madkhali et al provides valuable insights into the knowledge and awareness of lung cancer and screening practices among the population of Jazan, Saudi Arabia. The study’s findings shed light on the sociodemographic characteristics, smoking profiles, knowledge levels, and screening behaviors related to lung cancer in the region. The identification of knowledge gaps and the factors associated with knowledge levels is particularly important for informing targeted interventions and public health strategies aimed at improving early detection and outcomes for lung cancer. The study’s focus on the specific sociodemographic groups, such as age, marital status, and occupation, provides valuable insights into the areas where awareness programs should be targeted. The findings also underscore the need for comprehensive nationwide lung cancer awareness programs, particularly focusing on high-risk groups.¹

However, this study has several weaknesses that need to be considered. First, the cross-sectional research design did not allow for establishing causal relationships, and thus could not provide in-depth insight into the temporal dynamics of lung cancer-related knowledge and behaviors. Second, the study sample being specific to the Jazan population may limit the generalizability of the findings to the Saudi Arabia population as a whole due to cultural and socioeconomic variations that may exist. Third, reliance on self-reported data increases the risk of recall bias and social desirability, which may affect the accuracy of participants’ responses. Fourth, the age distribution skewed towards young individuals may not fully represent the complicated perspectives of older age groups, affecting the broad applicability of the study results. Therefore, future research should account for these weaknesses to improve understanding of lung cancer awareness and screening practices in Saudi Arabia.^2,3

To improve the quality of future studies, recommendations for improvement that can be considered are adopting a longitudinal research design to enable analysis of causal relationships and a more in-depth understanding of the dynamics of changes in lung cancer-related knowledge and behavior over time. In addition, expanding the sample coverage to include different regions of Saudi Arabia and considering cultural and socioeconomic diversity would improve the generalizability of the findings. The use of more objective data collection methods, such as direct observation or biological measurements, may reduce the risk of bias associated with reliance on self-reported data. In addition, expanding the age representation in the sample will provide more comprehensive insights into lung cancer-related knowledge and behaviors across the age range. By improving the study design and data collection methods, future research may provide more robust and relevant insights for the development of effective public health strategies related to lung cancer in Saudi Arabia.

In conclusion, this study made a significant contribution to the understanding of lung cancer screening awareness and practices in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. The insights provided by this study can serve as a basis for future research and the development of targeted public health interventions to increase lung cancer awareness and early detection in the region.