Assessment of Knowledge, Awareness, and Practices of Human Papillomavirus Infection and Vaccination Among Medical and Dental Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common causative agent for cervical cancer (CC) in women. Despite extensive initiatives, the acceptance and implementation of vaccinations have remained inadequate, hindering a significant impact on public health outcomes. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive assessment of the knowledge, awareness, and practices (KAP) scores of medical and dental students regarding HPV infection and vaccination. Materials and methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 580 students, including 290 Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students and 290 Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) students. The questionnaire comprised four distinct sections: the demographic section encompassed variables including age, gender, academic year, field of study, and vaccination status. The knowledge assessment section featured eight multiple-choice inquiries, the awareness assessment incorporated eight multiple-choice items, and the practice assessment consisted of four questions using a 5-point Likert scale. Google Forms links, accompanied by a set of instructions and consent forms, were randomly dispatched via WhatsApp to the participants. Data was subjected to statistical analysis. Results A total of 416 responses were obtained (180 BDS and 236 MBBS), amounting to a 71.2% response rate. MBBS participants had a significantly higher mean knowledge score of 7.14 than BDS participants (6.38) (p = 0.001). Males exhibited a significantly higher mean knowledge score than females (p = 0.009). Across the study years, the highest mean knowledge score was observed among first-year students, with a significant difference among years (p = 0.001). For awareness scores, MBBS participants had a significantly higher mean score of 6.90, compared to the BDS participants of 6.36 (p = 0.001). Regarding practice, MBBS participants had a significantly higher mean score of 16.02 than BDS participants of 15.18 (p = 0.001). The study year displayed the strongest correlation with knowledge (r = 0.39), while the correlations with awareness (r = 0.13) and practice (r = 0.01) were found to be weak. Conclusions Low KAP scores were observed in both medical and dental students for HPV infection, CC, and vaccination.