Aftab Tehreem, Khyzer Ehtisham, Suhail Nida, Abdullah Alanzy Hajar
Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar, SAU.
Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Northern Border University, Arar, SAU.
Cureus. 2024 May 29;16(5):e61313. doi: 10.7759/cureus.61313. eCollection 2024 May.
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.
目的 评估北边境大学医学本科生对宫颈癌和人乳头瘤病毒（HPV）疫苗接种的知识与认知。方法 这是一项横断面研究，对从位于阿赖的北边境大学医学院方便选取的学生进行。使用经过验证的问卷收集有关HPV感染知识和疫苗认知的数据。结果 共有200名学生回复了问卷，其中104名（52%）为男学生，120名（60%）为医学学士课程临床阶段的学生。在满分24分中，平均知识得分为17.12 ± 2.73分，这被标记为对宫颈癌和HPV的中等知识水平。几乎三分之二的学生正确回答了宫颈癌的病因和危险因素，而只有一半的学生知道正确的宫颈癌筛查间隔。学生对HPV疫苗的认知不足，在满分9分中，平均得分估计为4.20 ± 0.79分。与男学生和临床前阶段的学生相比，女学生和临床阶段的学生对宫颈癌及其疫苗表现出明显更好的理解和认知，并且疫苗接受度更高。结论 本研究表明学生对宫颈癌有中等知识水平，但对HPV疫苗的认知不足。然而，学生愿意接受关于宫颈癌及其疫苗的教育，并对作为未来医生为女学生接种疫苗和教育患者表现出积极态度。这些信息可被视为知识和认知水平的基准，并可用于修改医学课程和制定有效的认知计划。
