TY - JOUR
T1 - Dental Students’ Perception, Awareness and Knowledge About HPV Infection, Vaccine, and Its Association with Oral Cancer
T2 - A Multinational Study
AU - Lingam, Amara Swapna
AU - Koppolu, Pradeep
AU - Alhussein, Sara Ahmad
AU - Abdelrahim, Rawa Kamal
AU - Abusalim, Ghadah Salim
AU - Elhaddad, Sally
AU - Asrar, Sadaf
AU - Nassani, Mohammad Zakaria
AU - Gaafar, Sarah Salah
AU - Bukhary, Ferdous Mohammed T.
AU - Alghamdi, Abdulrahman Saeed
AU - Barakat, Ali
AU - Noushad, Mohammed
AU - Almoallim, Hesham
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Lingam et al.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Background: Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection forms a major etiological factor for oropharyngeal cancer (OPC), which has exhibited increased global incidence. Aim: To compare the knowledge regarding HPV, its association with OPC, and HPV vaccine among students from different countries, years of the undergraduate program, and gender. Methods: The current multinational cross-sectional study was conducted in 886 undergraduate dental students from Egypt, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Sudan through Google survey forms from July 2021 to September 2021. The survey form comprised 27 items divided into four sections. The answers to the questionnaire were compared among students from different countries, different years of the undergraduate program, and males and females. Chi-square test was used to evaluate the correlation between the demographic characteristics of students and their knowledge regarding HPV and OPC. Results: Females exhibited a better knowledge regarding knowledge and perception on HPV vaccine, whereas males exhibited a better knowledge regarding HPV and its correlation with OPC, and these differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The third-and fourth-year undergraduate students displayed a higher awareness of OPC and its connection with HPV than other year students, and this variance was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.001). Third-year and internship students exhibited a more positive attitude and comfort regarding the vaccine and discussing the same with patients than the other educational-level students. Students from India exhibited better knowledge about HPV and its association with OPC than the students from other countries, and this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Disparities in knowledge regarding HPV-related oral cancer have been detected among the female and male participants among different nations. From the entire study population, Indian students exhibited better knowledge regarding HPV. Females from all the nations exhibited a more positive attitude and comfort regarding the vaccine and discussing the same with patients than males. The results of this necessitate intervention measures including training workshops and awareness campaigns. Improving their knowledge regarding the same may increase their awareness, resulting in better patient care.
AB - Background: Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection forms a major etiological factor for oropharyngeal cancer (OPC), which has exhibited increased global incidence. Aim: To compare the knowledge regarding HPV, its association with OPC, and HPV vaccine among students from different countries, years of the undergraduate program, and gender. Methods: The current multinational cross-sectional study was conducted in 886 undergraduate dental students from Egypt, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Sudan through Google survey forms from July 2021 to September 2021. The survey form comprised 27 items divided into four sections. The answers to the questionnaire were compared among students from different countries, different years of the undergraduate program, and males and females. Chi-square test was used to evaluate the correlation between the demographic characteristics of students and their knowledge regarding HPV and OPC. Results: Females exhibited a better knowledge regarding knowledge and perception on HPV vaccine, whereas males exhibited a better knowledge regarding HPV and its correlation with OPC, and these differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The third-and fourth-year undergraduate students displayed a higher awareness of OPC and its connection with HPV than other year students, and this variance was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.001). Third-year and internship students exhibited a more positive attitude and comfort regarding the vaccine and discussing the same with patients than the other educational-level students. Students from India exhibited better knowledge about HPV and its association with OPC than the students from other countries, and this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Disparities in knowledge regarding HPV-related oral cancer have been detected among the female and male participants among different nations. From the entire study population, Indian students exhibited better knowledge regarding HPV. Females from all the nations exhibited a more positive attitude and comfort regarding the vaccine and discussing the same with patients than males. The results of this necessitate intervention measures including training workshops and awareness campaigns. Improving their knowledge regarding the same may increase their awareness, resulting in better patient care.
KW - carcinoma
KW - human papillomavirus 16
KW - oropharyngeal neoplasms
KW - papillomavirus infections
KW - papillomavirus vaccines
KW - sexually transmitted diseases
KW - squamous cell
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85134165167&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.2147/IDR.S365715
DO - 10.2147/IDR.S365715
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85134165167
SN - 1178-6973
VL - 15
SP - 3711
EP - 3724
JO - Infection and Drug Resistance
JF - Infection and Drug Resistance
ER -
