Cervical Cancer Prevention Knowledge (Cckp-64) among Female Students in Novi Sad, Serbia during COVID-19 Pandemic.

Cervical cancer is a significant global health concern affecting young women, with over 500,000 new cases reported annually. This questionnaire-based study aimed to evaluate the knowledge of cervical cancer prevention among female students at the University of Novi Sad during the COVID-19 pandemic using the Cervical Cancer Knowledge Prevention-64 (CCKP-64) tool. The study sample consisted of 402 predominantly 20-22-year-old female students from either social or technical science faculties in urban environments. Results revealed that out of the 402 female students involved in the study, most had a good general knowledge of primary prevention of cervical cancer, with a correct answer rate ranging from 29.9 to 80.6%. On the contrary, only 63.4% of female students have heard about the vaccine against cervical cancer; 52.0% know that the vaccine exists in Serbia; and 31.8% know where to get vaccinated. Only a small proportion of students (9.7%) have encountered cervical cancer among their relatives/friends and think that the disease could affect them in the future (25.4%). Older students (>26 years) generally (p < 0.05) had better knowledge regarding distressing symptoms of cervical cancer, cytological examination and secondary prevention; however, it was also noted that a significant percentage of this age group reported not having received vaccinations (53.0%, p = 0.001). This study underscores the need for increased awareness and education about the HPV vaccine and secondary prevention among young women in Serbia. Future research should investigate knowledge and attitudes toward cervical cancer prevention in diverse populations to develop effective interventions and strategies. These findings have implications for public health policies in Serbia to promote cervical cancer prevention among young women.

COVID-19-Related Stress, Fear and Online Teaching Satisfaction among Nursing Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health, particularly among students, due to COVID-19-related fear and also the transition from traditional to online lectures. In this questionnaire-based study, the COVID-19 Stress Scales (CSS), the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), and the Online Teaching Satisfaction Scale were used to assess COVID-19-related fear, stress, and overall satisfaction with online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic among nursing students in Serbia. A total of 167 students participated in the study, whose mean age was 21.3 ± 5.3, and the majority of whom were female and first-year students. Overall, most students experienced moderate to extremely high COVID-19-related stress levels. Overall, first-year and fourth-year students scored significantly lower regarding the Xenophobia and Traumatic stress subscales than second-year and third-year students, whereas first-year students also scored significantly lower on the Danger and Contamination subscales. First-year students experienced less COVID-19-related fear compared to senior students. Students were reasonably satisfied with online teaching. A stratified program is needed to prevent further decline of students' mental health and to improve their adaptation through public, health, and educational changes.