Medical students' knowledge of the human papillomavirus (HPV), cervical cancer, and HPV vaccination / Conhecimento dos alunos de medicina sobre papilomavírus humano (HPV), câncer cervical e vacinação contra HPV

Abstract: Introduction: Medical students still have many doubts regarding HPV (Human papillomavirus) and the vaccine against this virus. Objective: The study aimed to assess the University of Brasilia medical students' grasp of knowledge about HPV, its relationship with cancer, and the vaccine against the virus. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken by applying a survey questionnaire on the topics. The evaluation involved 379 respondents, 72.7% of the 521 students from the 1st to the 6th years enrolled in the second semester of 2017. The statistical analyses included differences between means and proportions, effect size measures, and the correlation between the identified indicators. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee in Research on Human Beings of the School of Medicine (1,989,835). Results: The 50-item knowledge score increased progressively with the year attended by the medical students (r= .706, p< .001), and was higher among the sexually-active compared to celibate participants (t = 3.26, df = 275, p = 0.001, d = 0.37), as well as among participants with higher family income compared to those with lower family income (t= 2.91, df= 366, p= .004, d= .35). No significant score differences emerged between participants grouped by gender, sexual behavior, or HPV vaccination status. Furthermore, gender (female; OR= 6.5, p<.001), age range (<24 years; OR= 3.3, p= .001), sexuality (active; OR= 2.7, p= .002), but not overall knowledge were predictors of the wish to be vaccinated among the 297 unvaccinated students. Conclusion: The study revealed a strong correlation of medical students' HPV-related knowledge with medical school year and significantly higher scores among sexually active and higher-income respondents, but there were no essential differences between males and females or between vaccinated and unvaccinated students. Among the latter participants, gender, age, and sexuality, but not knowledge, were the best predictors of the wish to be vaccinated. The findings suggest the need for improving HPV screening and vaccination programs and educational strategies regarding HPV-related diseases.

Resumo: Introdução: Há ainda, entre os estudantes de Medicina, muitas dúvidas com relação ao papilomavírus humano (HPV) e à vacina contra esse vírus. Objetivo: Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a compreensão dos estudantes de Medicina da Universidade de Brasília acerca do HPV, da sua relação com o câncer e da vacina contra o vírus. Método: Foi realizado um estudo transversal por meio da aplicação de um questionário teste sobre os temas. A avaliação envolveu 379 respondentes, o que representava 72,7% dos 521 alunos do primeiro ao sexto ano matriculados no segundo semestre de 2017. As análises estatísticas incluíram diferenças entre médias e proporções, medidas de tamanho de efeito e a correlação entre os indicadores identificados. O estudo foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa em Seres Humanos da Faculdade de Medicina (1,989,835). Resultado: A pontuação de conhecimento de 50 itens aumentou progressivamente com o ano do curso médico (r = 0,706, p <0,001) e foi maior entre os participantes sexualmente ativos em comparação com os celibatários (t = 3,26, df = 275, p = 0,001, d = 0,37), e entre os participantes com renda familiar mais alta em comparação com aqueles com renda mais baixa (t = 2,91, df = 366, p = 0,004, d = 0,35). Nenhuma diferença significativa de pontuação foi observada entre os participantes agrupados por gênero, comportamento sexual ou estado de vacinação contra o HPV. Além disso, sexo (feminino; OR = 6,5, p <0,001), faixa etária (<24 anos; OR = 3,3, p = 0,001) e sexualidade (ativo; OR = 2,7, p = 0,002), mas não o conhecimento geral, foram preditores do desejo de vacinação entre 297 alunos não vacinados. Conclusão: O estudo revelou uma forte correlação entre o conhecimento relacionado ao HPV dos estudantes de Medicina e o ano de estudo, e pontuações significativamente mais altas entre os respondentes sexualmente ativos e de renda superior, mas não houve nenhuma diferença essencial entre homens e mulheres ou entre alunos vacinados e não vacinados. Entre estes últimos, gênero, idade, sexualidade, e não o conhecimento foram os melhores preditores do desejo de vacinação. Os achados sugerem a necessidade de aperfeiçoamento em programas de triagem e vacinação para HPV e nas estratégias educacionais referentes às doenças relacionadas ao vírus.

Students' HPV vaccination rates are associated with demographics, sexuality, and source of advice but not level of study in medical school.

This study aimed to explore how medical students differ regarding the HPV vaccination status according to their demographics, sexuality, medical school year and sources of information regarding the vaccine. The cross-sectional survey included 379 participants from medical school year 1 to 6, in a medical school in Brasilia. Statistical analyses of the data obtained from a questionnaire analyzed contingency tables and highlighted odds ratios effect sizes. The results showed that among all the participants, 80 (21.1%) were vaccinated against HPV, 215 (58.7%) were not vaccinated but wanted to be and 84 (22.2%) were neither vaccinated nor wanted to be vaccinated. . Female gender (OR= 5.88, 95% CI 3.36-10.30), parental advice (OR= 6.95, 95% CI= 3.97-12.16), and absence of sexual initiation before 16 years of age (OR= 3.04, 95% CI= 1.05-8.77) were positively associated with HPV-vaccinated students. In parallel, female gender (OR= 4.74, 95% CI= 2.38-9.44), parental advice (OR= 3.50, 95% CI=1.20-10.22), and reporting two or more recent sexual partners (OR= 2.03, 95% CI= 1.06-3.88) were positively associated with the intention to be vaccinated among unvaccinated students. The high cost of the vaccine was perceived as a barrier among those respondents who wished to be vaccinated. Additionally, among the 84 (81.3% male) students who admitted unwillingness to be vaccinated, approximately two-thirds cited the feeling to be safe, lack of counseling, or low efficacy of the vaccine as the reasons for their reluctance. In conclusion, vaccination coverage was low among these medical students. Nevertheless, female gender, personal advice, and safe sex were the main factors associated with higher levels of vaccination and vaccine acceptance.