Kassymbekova Fatima, Rommel Alexander, Kaidarova Dilyara, Auyezova Ardak, Nukusheva Saule, Dunenova Gauhar, Bolatbekova Raikhan, Zhetpisbayeva Indira, Abdushukurova Gulzada, Glushkova Natalya
Department of Public Health and Social Sciences, Kazakhstan's Medical University "KSPH", Almaty 050060, Kazakhstan.
Department of Epidemiology and Health Monitoring, Robert Koch-Institute, D-12101 Berlin, Germany.
Vaccines (Basel). 2024 Oct 28;12(11):1225. doi: 10.3390/vaccines12111225.
Cervical cancer, predominantly caused by human papillomavirus, remains a major public health issue globally and in Kazakhstan, where it ranks among the most common cancers in women. A pilot HPV vaccination programme in Kazakhstan was suspended in 2017 due to mass parental refusals, and it is planned to be restarted in the coming years. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, barriers, and sources of information about HPV and the HPV vaccine among healthcare professionals in Kazakhstan.
A cross-sectional study (December 2022-May 2023) involving 1189 healthcare professionals in Kazakhstan used a self-administered questionnaire. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, mean knowledge score, between-group comparisons, and binary logistic regression to identify factors linked to higher knowledge and vaccine recommendation.
The study found that the average knowledge score for HPV and the HPV vaccine among participants was 11 out of a possible 18. Correct answers to the questionnaire were observed more frequently among physicians than among nurses ( < 0.001). In our study, 72.6% of healthcare professionals expressed a positive intention to recommend the HPV vaccine. The likelihood of recommending the HPV vaccine was significantly higher among those with higher knowledge of HPV and its vaccine (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.3-2.5; < 0.001), those familiar with cervical cancer patients (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.5-2.8; < 0.001), and those with positive attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine and childhood vaccination (OR 2.3 and 1.5, respectively). Healthcare professionals identified key barriers to HPV vaccination, including public mistrust (49.4%), fear of side effects (45.9%), and insufficient knowledge among healthcare professionals themselves (30.3%). Information from the internet, including articles and journals, was the most commonly used source of information, followed by social media and colleagues.
The disparities identified call for a tailored, multifaceted communication strategy that addresses the diverse needs of health professionals to address the differences in awareness between different groups, in order to ensure successful implementation and coverage of HPV vaccination across Kazakhstan.
宫颈癌主要由人乳头瘤病毒引起，在全球以及哈萨克斯坦仍是一个重大公共卫生问题，在该国它位列女性最常见癌症之中。哈萨克斯坦一项人乳头瘤病毒（HPV）疫苗接种试点项目于2017年因众多家长拒绝而暂停，计划在未来几年重启。本研究旨在评估哈萨克斯坦医疗保健专业人员关于HPV及HPV疫苗的知识、态度、障碍和信息来源。
一项横断面研究（2022年12月至2023年5月），涉及哈萨克斯坦1189名医疗保健专业人员，采用自填式问卷。统计分析包括描述性统计、平均知识得分、组间比较以及二元逻辑回归，以确定与更高知识水平和疫苗推荐相关的因素。
研究发现，参与者中HPV及HPV疫苗的平均知识得分为满分18分中的11分。问卷的正确答案在医生中比在护士中更常见（<0.001）。在我们的研究中，72.6%的医疗保健专业人员表示有积极意愿推荐HPV疫苗。对HPV及其疫苗知识了解较多的人（比值比1.8；95%置信区间1.3 - 2.5；<0.001）、熟悉宫颈癌患者的人（比值比2.0；95%置信区间1.5 - 2.8；<0.001）以及对新冠疫苗和儿童疫苗接种持积极态度的人（分别为比值比2.3和1.5）推荐HPV疫苗的可能性显著更高。医疗保健专业人员确定了HPV疫苗接种的主要障碍，包括公众不信任（49.4%）、对副作用的恐惧（45.9%）以及医疗保健专业人员自身知识不足（30.3%）。来自互联网（包括文章和期刊）的信息是最常用的信息来源，其次是社交媒体和同事。
所发现的差异要求制定一项量身定制的多方面沟通策略，以满足卫生专业人员的不同需求，解决不同群体之间的认知差异，从而确保在哈萨克斯坦成功实施HPV疫苗接种并实现覆盖。
