Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors of Medical School Students about
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) And HPV Vaccine
Abstract
Background: The objective of this study was to measure the knowledge,
attitudes and behaviors about Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and HPV
vaccine and to detect the HPV vaccination status of medical school
students. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted
on students in a medical school. A sociodemographic data form and HPV
Knowledge Scale were used in the study. Statistical analysis was done
with the SPSS program for Windows Version 25 using chi-square,
independent samples t-test, one-way test ANOVA and Pearson correlation.
Frequencies and measures of a central distribution represented data. A
p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistical significance, with
a 95% CI. Results: Of the 518 students who participated in the study,
57.9% were women, and 61.6% were preclinical students. Rates of
smoking (p=0.018) and alcohol consumption (p=0.001) and sexual activity
status (p<0.001) were significantly higher in male than in
female students. Only 2.3% of participants reported having received the
HPV vaccination. Age (p<0.001), gender (p=0.017), and
nationality (p=0.045) were found to have a significant effect on student
receipt of HPV vaccine. HPV knowledge level was higher among those who
were female (p=0.004), studied in a clinical class (p<0.001),
were sexually active (p<0.001), could easily talk about
sexuality in the family (p=0.027), and had obtained their knowledge from
school (p<0.001) and medical personnel (p<0.001).
Conclusion: The HPV knowledge level of medical students was moderate
compared to the literature. While the vaccination rate was consistent
with the Turkish data, it was significantly lower than the international
literature. Increasing the knowledge level of medical students is
crucial as they can influence other peers through peer education.
Therefore, efforts should be made to improve the knowledge level and
vaccination rate in medical schools, both in the curriculum and in
extracurricular activities.