evaluation of exposure to carcinogenic agents in tehran citizens

background and purpose: today, one of the major health problems worldwide is cancer. several factors are involved in cancer incidence; however, the role of environmental factors is more prominent. modifying these factors and changing them into proper behavior can have a fundamental role in preventing cancer. accordingly, this study was conducted to evaluate the exposure to carcinogenic agents in tehran citizens. material and methods: this descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample size of 2500 tehran citizens who were selected by cluster random sampling. data collection instrument was a questionnaire with five parts including demographic information, and questions regarding alcohol and tobacco use, exposure to radiation, chemicals, and reaction to stressors. data were collected at one time and in person. data analysis was performed by spss software (v. 11.5) and descriptive statistics. findings: results showed that 10.4% of the sample consumed alcohol, 16% smoked cigarette and hookah, 22% of the subjects were always exposed to sunlight, 88.4% had no contact with chemicals at work place and 94.4% were not taking hormone during menopause and the majority of subjects (45.8%) got angry sometimes. conclusion: most of tehran citizens are exposed to carcinogenic agents, especially radiation, cigarette smoke, chemicals and with less intensity with stressors. due to the fact that alcohol is prohibited in islam, no clear information is available about its consumption. it is helpful to educate people about the carcinogenic agents.