Mandal Mita, Sarkar Subhankar, Panda Subrat
Obstetrics and Gynecology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalyani, Kalyani, IND.
Pediatric Nephrology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalyani, Kalyani, IND.
Cureus. 2024 Aug 6;16(8):e66284. doi: 10.7759/cureus.66284. eCollection 2024 Aug.
Background Cervical cancer (CC) is the second most common cancer among Indian women and is caused by a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. To achieve its global commitment to the elimination of CC, India is planning to include the HPV vaccine in its national immunization program. The success of the prevention of CC mostly depends on the level of awareness and knowledge among healthcare providers about different aspects of the disease and the vaccine. We aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding CC, HPV, and the HPV vaccine in first-contact young female doctors and nursing officers. Methodology This cross-sectional study was conducted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalyani, between February and June 2024 among young female health workers aged between 20 and 35 years. To evaluate KAP we used a validated, self-administered questionnaire. Results There were a total of 204 participants, whose median age was 26 (interquartile range = 25 to 29) years; among them, 114 (55.9%) were nursing officers and 90 (44.1%) were junior doctors. Good knowledge was found among 85.5% of doctors and 70.2% of nursing officers (p < 0.01). A positive attitude was found in 81.1% of doctors and 67.5% of nursing officers (p < 0.01). The overall good practice score was low (31.3%). A higher level of education was associated with good knowledge (β = -1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) = -1.76, -0.55, p < 0.01) and positive attitude (β = -0.53, 95% CI = -0.9, 0.16, p = 0.005) toward HPV, CC, and the HPV vaccine. Conclusions Our cohort showed good knowledge and attitude toward CC, HPV, and the HPV vaccine, but poor HPV vaccine uptake and practice. Therefore, health education programs focused on increasing awareness and uplifting confidence are needed to accept and recommend the HPV vaccine in developing countries like India.
宫颈癌（CC）是印度女性中第二常见的癌症，由人乳头瘤病毒（HPV）感染引起。为履行其在全球消除宫颈癌的承诺，印度计划将HPV疫苗纳入其国家免疫规划。预防宫颈癌的成功主要取决于医疗保健提供者对该疾病及疫苗不同方面的认识和知识水平。我们旨在评估初次接触的年轻女医生和护士对宫颈癌、HPV及HPV疫苗的知识、态度和实践（KAP）。
本横断面研究于2024年2月至6月在卡利亚尼全印度医学科学研究所对年龄在20至35岁之间的年轻女性卫生工作者进行。为评估KAP，我们使用了一份经过验证的自填问卷。
共有204名参与者，中位年龄为26岁（四分位间距=25至29岁）；其中，114名（55.9%）为护士，90名（44.1%）为初级医生。85.5%的医生和70.2%的护士知识掌握良好（p<0.01）。81.1%的医生和67.5%的护士态度积极（p<0.01）。总体良好实践得分较低（31.3%）。较高的教育水平与对HPV、CC及HPV疫苗的良好知识（β=-1.16，95%置信区间（CI）=-1.76，-0.55，p<0.01）和积极态度（β=-0.53，95%CI=-0.9，0.16，p=0.005）相关。
我们的队列对CC、HPV及HPV疫苗表现出良好的知识和态度，但HPV疫苗接种率和实践情况较差。因此，在印度这样的发展中国家，需要开展侧重于提高认识和增强信心的健康教育项目，以接受和推荐HPV疫苗。
