Are Medical Students from Across the World Aware of Cervical Cancer, HPV Infection and Vaccination? A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study

Knowledge About Cervical Cancer and Awareness About Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Among Medical Students at the Northern Border University, Arar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Objectives To evaluate the knowledge and awareness about cervical cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among medical undergraduates at Northern Border University. Methods It was a cross-sectional study done on students selected conveniently from the College of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar. The data were collected regarding knowledge about HPV infection and vaccine awareness using a validated questionnaire. Results A total of 200 students responded to the questionnaires, with 104 (52%) being male students and 120 (60%) being clinical years of MBBS. The mean knowledge score was 17.12 ± 2.73 out of 24, which was labeled as moderate knowledge about cervical cancer and HPV. Almost two-thirds of the students responded correctly to the etiology and risk factors of cervical cancer, while only half of the students knew the correct screening intervals for cervical cancer. The awareness of students about the HPV vaccine was deficient, and the mean score was estimated to be 4.20 ± 0.79 out of nine. Female students and students in clinical years showed significantly better understanding and awareness about cervical cancer and its vaccine and showed greater vaccine acceptability as compared to male students and students in preclinical years. Conclusion The present study shows moderate knowledge about cervical cancer but deficient awareness of medical students about the HPV vaccine. However, the students were willing to get educated about cervical cancer and its vaccine and showed a favorable opinion towards vaccinating the schoolgirls and educating their patients as future physicians. The information can be considered a benchmark on knowledge and awareness levels and can be utilized to modify medical curricula and develop efficient awareness programs.

Status of Healthy Choices, Attitudes and Health Education of Children and Young People in Romania-A Literature Review

Background and Objectives: This study aims to assess the health status and factors influencing healthy choices among children and young people in Romania, as well as the efficacy of related health education programs. Through understanding these dynamics, the study seeks to provide insights that can shape targeted interventions, policies, and educational strategies to improve this demographic's overall health and well-being. Materials and Methods: For this study, we performed a literature review of original published papers on the health status, healthy habits, health education, predisposition to making healthy choices in the future, and accessibility to the paediatric health system of Romanian children and young people, as well as the effects of different types of educational interventions on this demographic in Romania. Results: The prevalence of dental caries is high in Romania. In terms of eating habits and nutritional status, a worrying proportion of children are overweight or obese, which can lead to a variety of future physical and psychological problems. In terms of physical activity, few adolescents demonstrate regular fitness practices. Romania presents an increase in alcohol and tobacco consumption among adolescents. The mental health of students has become a pressing public health concern, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of social networks is linked to mental health issues among young people. Romania still has one of the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases and faces a high incidence of cervical cancer, with a mortality rate three times higher than the EU average. High rates of teenage pregnancies are linked to limited information about sexuality and a lack of access to family planning at a young age. There are large discrepancies in the accessibility of medical services between urban and rural areas. Conclusions: Romania faces significant obstacles to providing high-quality healthcare to children and young people. Improving nutrition, immunisation rates, and access to medical services represent essential areas for enhancing the health of children and young people in Romania.

Knowledge regarding human papillomavirus and cervical cancer prevention among medical students from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women in Thailand. General practitioners, within their primary healthcare role, play a vital role in the cervical cancer screening program, as they are the healthcare professionals most easily accessible to the general population. This study aims to determine the level of knowledge of cervical cancer and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, HPV vaccination, and cervical cancer screening among last-year medical students.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among sixth-year medical students using an electronic self-administered questionnaire. The two-part questionnaire comprised demographic data and 12 true/false questions that assessed knowledge regarding HPV infection, HPV vaccination, and cervical cancer screening recommendations. Pilot testing revealed a high Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability coefficient.

RESULTS

A 67% response rate was achieved. Among the 198 respondents, only one (0.5%) student correctly answered over 80% of the questions while most respondents (172, 71.7%) correctly answered less than 60% of the questions. Less than half of the respondents correctly identified crucial aspects such as the primary cause of cervical cancer, recommended vaccination age, cytology sensitivity compared to HPV testing, and the recommended screening frequency for average-risk women.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights a significant lack of comprehension among Thai medical students concerning HPV infection, vaccination, and cervical cancer screening guidelines. Encouraging educational enhancement, effective communication, and heightened awareness of these crucial topics within the medical school curriculum are imperative.

Social media use in HPV-, cervical cancer-, and cervical screening-related research: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE

In response to the World Health Organization's global call to eliminate cervical cancer, many countries have targets to implement human papillomavirus (HPV) primary screening. Social media may offer opportunities to promote uptake of HPV screening. We aimed to describe the extent of the scientific literature regarding social media research on HPV, cervical cancer and cervical screening.

METHODS

Seven databases were searched for peer-reviewed English-language studies related to social media research and HPV, cervical cancer and cervical screening published up to November 2023. One reviewer completed the title/abstract screening and two reviewers independently reviewed full-text articles. Data extraction was carried out by one reviewer and verified by a second reviewer. Information such as the research topic, social media platform of interest, participant characteristics, methods, analysis type, outcome measures, and key findings were collected.

RESULTS

In the 58 articles included, researchers used social media in the following ways: evaluate content, recruit participants or disseminate a survey/questionnaire, disseminate health communication content, examine the relationship between social media use and outcomes, and to conduct experiments testing the effects of social media content on outcomes. Twitter and Facebook were the most common platforms mentioned. Four articles explicitly mentioned theory.

CONCLUSIONS

Opportunities for research are identified such as further exploration of how newer social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok can be used to share HPV content, examination of appropriate images for effective communication, and determining key features of social media content to promote information sharing and improve cervical screening knowledge, attitudes and behaviours.

Evaluation of the Knowledge of the Most Common Cancers Among Health Students at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Cancer is a major public health problem worldwide, and medical students are expected to have adequate knowledge and awareness of the most common types of cancer. This study aimed to assess the cancer knowledge of medical students at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia, focusing on breast cancer (BC), prostate cancer (PC), cervical cancer (CC), and colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

This study employed a self-administered survey to evaluate both general and specialized knowledge of cancer types. A total of 321 medical students from different academic years participated in the study. The questionnaire used a scoring system where each correct answer was given one point, and each incorrect answer or "I don't know" response was given zero points.

RESULTS

The overall knowledge scores were 18.75 ± 4.43 out of 28 (67%). The students had a good level of general knowledge about cancer (5.26 ± 1.44 out of 7, 75%) and breast cancer (5.47 ± 1.44 out of 7, 78%) and a moderate knowledge level of prostate cancer (2.83 ± 1.07 out of 4, 71%), cervical cancer (2.74 ± 1.53 out of 5, 55%), and colorectal cancer (2.55 ± 1.61 out of 5, 50%). There were significant differences in cancer knowledge by gender, academic year, and having a relative or friend with cancer. All types of cancer knowledge were positively and significantly correlated with each other.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed the strengths and weaknesses of cancer knowledge among medical students at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia. The overall score for knowledge indicated a moderate level. The students had some knowledge about cancer prevention, detection, and treatment, but some gaps and misconceptions need to be addressed. More education and awareness programs are necessary to improve cancer literacy among students and promote healthy behaviors that can reduce cancer risk.

Awareness about the human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV vaccine among medical students in Lebanon

As a developing country, Lebanon lacks adequate awareness about Human papillomavirus (HPV) among its population, whether working in the medical field or not. Lebanon is traditionally considered conservative with a low incidence of sexually transmitted infections in general, but recently the incidence of HPV infections has significantly increased. The present cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the level of awareness on HPV and the attitude toward HPV vaccine among Lebanese medical students in a self-administered questionnaire-based survey. A total of 1009 answers were collected and analyzed from a population of about 3000 Lebanese medical students. Our study revealed a significant lack of knowledge and awareness on HPV among medical students in Lebanon, with a strikingly low vaccination rate (16.4%) due to many barriers. Education initiatives in medical schools remain crucial to raise awareness on HPV and promote HPV vaccination, especially among medical students, who represent the country's future healthcare providers and policymakers.

Lack of knowledge regarding HPV and its relation to oropharyngeal cancer among medical students

Background

Oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) is an important cause of cancer‐related mortality. Early detection of OPC results in a favorable prognosis and higher survival rates. Infection by high‐risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) is a risk factor for OPC with an upward trend globally. Medical students' knowledge and awareness of HPV‐related OPC can be crucial in the preventive efforts.

Aim

To assess HPV knowledge among medical students at the University of Jordan, with particular focus on its relation to different cancers.

Methods

This paper‐based survey study was conducted in November 2019. The survey items were based on previously validated surveys used to evaluate HPV‐related OPC knowledge among dental students and professionals. To assess HPV knowledge and students' confidence in personal history taking and physical examination, we developed a knowledge and confidence scores that showed acceptable reliability.

Results

The total number of participants was 1198 students, with a median age of 21 and female predominance (n = 697, 58.2%). Among the participants, 93.3% heard of HPV prior to this survey (n = 1118). Higher levels of knowledge regarding cervical cancer, OPC and HPV vaccination was seen among clinical students compared to their preclinical counterparts, but their overall HPV knowledge was low. Only 18.4% and 21.0% of the clinical students correctly identified the association of HPV with penile and oropharyngeal cancers, respectively. Additionally, 34.5% of the clinical students were not aware of the availability of HPV vaccines. The majority of students (92.0%) reported that the university courses were their major source of knowledge about HPV.

Conclusion

A profound lack of knowledge regarding HPV role in OPC was found among medical students. This insufficiency included several aspects of the virus and its associated diseases. Such gaps in knowledge could have negative consequences in early detection and prevention of OPC and should be addressed by evaluation of the current curriculum.

Knowledge and attitude about cervical cancer and human papillomavirus vaccine among medical and paramedical students of a university

BACKGROUND

Every year, globally 570,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, out of which around 311,000 die. India contributes to about 132,000 new cases and 74,000 deaths yearly. One of the major risk factors for cervical cancer is infection with some types of human papillomavirus (HPV). This is both preventable (by vaccination) and detectable early (routine screening programs).

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to assess the knowledge and attitude in medical and paramedical students about cervical cancer and HPV vaccination.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted, using predesigned and validated questionnaire. It was segregated into three parts: Q1-demographic details, Q2a-questions assessing knowledge, Q2b-questions assessing attitude. Our target population was female students (18-25 years) studying in medical, nursing, and physiotherapy colleges. Descriptive statistics of data was analyzed using SPSS 16.0.

RESULTS

We had 73% response rate. Most participants belonged to upper middle and upper socioeconomic class, were pursuing MBBS, resided in villages, had educated parents, and had good health-care-seeking behavior. School education, television, and printed advertisements appeared to be underutilized. Around 50% of the participant had received chickenpox and typhoid vaccine, but only 8% had received HPV vaccine. The mean knowledge score was 5.19 ± 2.24, with 0.00 minimum and 11.0 maximum, out of a maximum possible score of 17. Only, place of residence appeared to effect the knowledge score.

CONCLUSION

The study shows the dismal knowledge levels about HPV amongst students. Participants were interested in seeking knowledge; consider HPV vaccination provided they were provided with sufficient knowledge.