Awareness and Knowledge Among Dental and Medical Undergraduate Students Regarding Human Papilloma Virus and Its Available Preventive Measures

The impact of health education interventions on HPV vaccination uptake, awareness, and acceptance among people under 30 years old in India: a literature review with systematic search

Background

The HPV vaccine is used as one of the main prevention tools for HPV-related cancers globally, yet it is not part of the Indian National Immunization program. In light of the introduction of the indigenous vaccine, we examine the effectiveness of health education about uptake, acceptance, and awareness.

Methods

Research was performed in the following databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Embase to identify studies between 2008 and 2022. Studies were included if: they were conducted in India including primary data research and health education intervention, and participants were between 9 and 29 years old.

Results

Out of the 10.952 results, 7 studies were included. Four studies focused on adolescent girls, aged from 9 to 20 years old, and 3 on university students aged from 17 to 26 years. Five studies were implemented in urban areas and 2 in rural areas. Health education interventions proved to be effective in increasing uptake, awareness, and acceptance of the HPV vaccine. The barriers included among others: cost, lack of awareness, and cultural barriers.

Conclusion

Observations from this study outline immediate action for policymakers to educate and encourage the young population toward HPV vaccination. Future programs should be aimed at different population groups and be adjusted according to their special characteristics and needs. Attention should be given to the male population and marginalized groups. The involvement of various stakeholders proved to be beneficial, and it is highly recommended.

The Awareness of the Human Papillomavirus Infection and Oropharyngeal Cancer in People to Improve the Health Care System at Al Qunfudhah Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

With 14 million new infections each year, the human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) among both men and women in the United States (US). Infections with the human papillomavirus (HPV) are responsible for a considerable portion of the global cancer burden. HPV-related oral malignancies are on the rise around the world, according to epidemiological studies. To provide accurate advice to their patients, dental practitioners require thorough, up-to-date HPV-related knowledge. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected by the purposely constructed questionnaire. A questionnaire composed of the demographic items and items related to the awareness and knowledge about Human papillomavirus. The questionnaire was constructed after a series of discussions between the panel of experts. This panel was composed of a subject specialist, researcher, and language expert. The Cronbach alpha of the questionnaire was calculated. The study will be conducted in the Al Qunfudhah. Results. The Cronbach alpha of the questionnaire was 0.72. Out of a total of 550 respondents, with a mean (SD) age of 47.5 (11.5), the female respondents were 167 (30.4%) while male were 383 (69.6%). 20.5% of the respondents (out of 550) were having awareness of HPV. Implications. Knowledge of HPV-related oral cancer is critical, and it is advised to be taught as part of dental students' basic curriculum and clinical training. This problem can be solved by better educational training programs. Knowledge of HPV-related oral cancer is critical, and it is advised to be taught as part of dental students' basic curriculum and clinical training.