Table 1
Descriptive statistics for categorical and continuous variables.
| Variable | Frequency (%) [n = 577] | Mean ± SD | Median (IQR) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | Female | 336 (58.23) | – | – |
| Male | 241 (41.76) | |||
| Course | Dental (BDS) | 304 (52.68) | – | – |
| Medical (MBBS) | 273 (47.31) | |||
| Overall total score | Average (≤10) | 294 (50.95) | 10.75 ± 5.18 | 10 (6, 15) |
| Good (11–20) | 283 (49.04) | |||
| Total score for knowledge about HPV | Average (≤6) | 274 (47.48) | 7.98 ± 3.26 | 7 (5, 11) |
| Good (7–12) | 303 (52.51) | |||
| Total score for knowledge about HPV vaccination | Average (≤2) | 465 (80.58) | 1.61 ± 0.95 | 1 (1, 2) |
| Good (3–4) | 112 (19.41) | |||
| Total score for knowledge about HPV diagnosis | Average (≤1) | 334 (57.88) | 1.15 ± 1.16 | 1 (0, 2) |
| Good (2–3) | 243 (42.11) | |||
| Age (years) | – | 20.95 ± 1.82 | 21 (19, 22) | |
[i] Abbreviations: BDS = Bachelor of Dental Surgery; HPV = Human papilloma virus; IQR = Interquartile range; MBBS = Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery; SD = Standard deviation.
Table 2
Descriptive statistics for knowledge about HPV, its vaccination and diagnosis.
| Variable | Frequency (%) [n = 577] | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Are you aware of a virus called HPV? | Yes* | 556 (96.36) | |
| No | 21 (3.63) | ||
| Are you aware of any disease caused by HPV? | Yes* | 544 (94.28) | |
| No | 33 (5.71) | ||
| If your answer is yes to the above question, what disease/s does it cause? | Cervical cancer (A) | 119 (23.28) | |
| Oropharyngeal cancer (B) | 48 (9.39) | ||
| Vulvar cancer (C) | 29 (5.67) | ||
| Warts (D) | 97 (18.98) | ||
| HIV/AIDS (E) | 6 (1.17) | ||
| A, B | 65 (12.72) | ||
| A, B, C | 34 (6.65) | ||
| A, B, C, D* | 43 (8.41) | ||
| B, D | 12 (2.34) | ||
| A, C, D | 11 (2.15) | ||
| B, C, D | 16 (3.13) | ||
| A, D | 10 (1.95) | ||
| A, C | 11 (2.15) | ||
| C, D | 8 (1.56) | ||
| A, B, D | 22 (4) | ||
| Which HPV strains cause majority of HPV-related cancers? | HPV 16 & 18 (A)* | 197 (34.14) | |
| HPV 6 & 11 (B) | 92 (15.94) | ||
| HPV 33 & 45 (C) | 56 (9.7) | ||
| None of the above | 83 (14.38) | ||
| A, B | 91 (15.77) | ||
| A, C | 37 (6.41) | ||
| B, C | 21 (3.63) | ||
| Which of the following persons can be infected by HPV? | Male | 65 (11.26) | |
| Female | 196 (33.96) | ||
| Both* | 305 (52.85) | ||
| Do not know | 11 (1.9) | ||
| What is the mode of transmission of HPV? | Physical contact (A) | 78 (13.51) | |
| Aerosol/Air droplet (B) | 12 (2) | ||
| Sexual intercourse (C) | 266 (46.1) | ||
| Do not know | 32 (5.54) | ||
| A, B | 18 (3.11) | ||
| A, C* | 163 (28.24) | ||
| B, C | 8 (0.5) | ||
| Everyone infected with HPV will have symptoms. | True | 205 (35.52) | |
| False* | 12 (2) | ||
| Do not know | 266 (46.1) | ||
| Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths among women of India. | True | 255 (44.19) | |
| False* | 295 (51.12) | ||
| Do not know | 27 (4.67) | ||
| Are you aware that HPV can also cause oropharyngeal carcinoma? | Yes* | 308 (53.37) | |
| No | 269 (46.62) | ||
| Are you aware of any vaccine to prevent these virus-related diseases? | Yes* | 290 (50.25) | |
| No | 287 (49.74) | ||
| Is there a need for better education in India about HPV and its related diseases? | Yes* | 570 (98.78) | |
| No | 7 (1.21) | ||
| Do you feel there will be an increased trend of HPV-related diseases in the near future? | Yes* | 571 (99.13) | |
| No | 6 (1.03) | ||
| Do you wish to gain more knowledge about HPV and its related diseases? | Yes* | 573 (99.3) | |
| No | 4 (0.69) | ||
| Do you know the name of the vaccine given to prevent HPV related diseases? | Yes* | 200 (34.66) | |
| No | 377 (65.33) | ||
| What age group should receive this vaccine? | 9–13 years (A) | Girls | 12 (2.07) |
| Boys | 0 (0) | ||
| Both* | 6 (1.03) | ||
| 15–18 years (B) | Girls | 20 (3.46) | |
| Boys | 0 (0) | ||
| Both* | 68 (11.78) | ||
| 20–26 years (C) | Girls | 116 (20.1) | |
| Boys | 0 (0) | ||
| Both* | 113 (19.58) | ||
| Do not know | 38 (6.58) | ||
| A, B (Girls) | 0 (0) | ||
| B, C (Girls) | 42 (7.27) | ||
| A, C (Girls) | 0 (0) | ||
| A, B (Both) | 15 (2.59) | ||
| A, C (Both) | 19 (3.29) | ||
| B, C (Both) | 52 (9.01) | ||
| A, B, C (Girls) | 31 (5.37) | ||
| A, B, C (Both)* | 45 (7.79) | ||
| Are you aware that HPV vaccines, unlike in other countries, are still not a part of the National Immunization Program of India? | Yes* | 125 (21.66) | |
| No | 452 (78.33) | ||
| Would you allow your child or a close relative to get HPV vaccination? | Yes* | 572 (99.13) | |
| No | 0 (0) | ||
| Maybe | 5 (0.86) | ||
| Have you heard about Pap smear test? | Yes* | 333 (42.28) | |
| No | 244 (57.71) | ||
| What is a Pap smear test used for? | Testing sexually transmitted diseases | 255 (44.19) | |
| Treating cervical cancer | 151 (26.16) | ||
| Cervical cancer screening* | 117 (20.27) | ||
| Do not know | 54 (9.35) | ||
| Is there a need for Pap smear screening after receiving HPV vaccination? | True* | 237 (41.07) | |
| False | 126 (21.83) | ||
| Do not know | 214 (37.08) | ||
[i] Abbreviations: * Correct answer; HPV = Human papilloma virus.
Table 3
Between-course and between-gender analysis.
| Variable | Between-Course Analysis | Between-Gender Analysis | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dental (BDS) | Medical (MBBS) | p-value | Female | Male | p-value | |||||
| Median (Range) | Mean ± SD | Median (Range) | Mean ± SD | Median (Range) | Mean ± SD | Median (Range) | Mean ± SD | |||
| Overall score | 10.5 (6, 15) | 10.9 ± 5.23 | 10 (6, 14) | 10.59 ± 5.12 | 0.41 | 11 (6, 15) | 10.97 ± 5.19 | 8 (6, 14) | 10.44 ± 5.15 | 0.24 |
| Total score for knowledge about HPV | 8 (5, 11) | 8.2 ± 3.4 | 7 (5, 10) | 7.73 ± 3.09 | 0.06 | 9 (5, 11) | 8.18 ± 3.27 | 6 (5, 11) | 7.7 ± 3.24 | 0.14 |
| Total score for knowledge about HPV vaccination | 1 (1, 2) | 1.56 ± 0.89 | 1 (1, 2) | 1.67 ± 1.02 | 0.28 | 1 (1, 2) | 1.63 ± 1.01 | 1 (1, 2) | 1.57 ± 0.86 | 0.89 |
| Total score for knowledge about HPV diagnosis | 1 (0, 2) | 1.13 ± 1.14 | 1 (0, 2) | 1.18 ± z1.19) | 0.68 | 1 (0, 2) | 1.15 ± 1.13 | 1 (0, 2) | 1.17 ± 1.21 | 0.95 |
[i] Abbreviations: BDS = Bachelor of Dental Surgery; HPV = Human papilloma virus; MBBS = Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery; SD = Standard deviation.
Table 4
Comparison of variables between the courses.
| Variable | Course | p-value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDS | MBBS | |||
| Overall score | Average (≤10) | 152 (50) | 142 (52.01) | 0.68 |
| Good (11–20) | 152 (50) | 131 (47.98) | ||
| Total score for knowledge about HPV | Average (≤6) | 142 (46.71) | 132 (48.35) | 0.75 |
| Good (7–12) | 162 (53.28) | 141 (51.64) | ||
| Total score for knowledge about HPV vaccination | Average (≤2) | 243 (79.93) | 222 (81.31) | 0.75 |
| Good (3–4) | 61 (20.06) | 51 (18.68) | ||
| Total score for knowledge about HPV diagnosis | Average (≤1) | 182 (59.86) | 152 (55.67) | 0.35 |
| Good (2–3) | 122 (40.13) | 121 (44.32) | ||
[i] Abbreviations: BDS = Bachelor of Dental Surgery; HPV = Human papilloma virus; MBBS = Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery.
Table 5
Comparison of variables between the genders.
| Variable | Gender | p-value | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | Male | |||
| Overall score | Average (≤10) | 163 (48.51) | 131 (54.35) | 0.19 |
| Good (11–20) | 173 (51.48) | 110 (45.64) | ||
| Total score for knowledge about HPV | Average (≤6) | 143 (42.55) | 131 (54.35) | 0.006* |
| Good (7–12) | 193 (57.44) | 110 (45.64) | ||
| Total score for knowledge about HPV vaccination | Average (≤2) | 264 (78.57) | 201 (83.40) | 0.18 |
| Good (3–4) | 72 (21.42) | 40 (16.59) | ||
| Total score for knowledge about HPV diagnosis | Average (≤1) | 194 (57.73) | 140 (58.09) | 0.99 |
| Good (2–3) | 142 (42.26) | 101 (41.9) | ||
[i] Abbreviations: * Significant at 5% level of significance; HPV = Human papilloma virus.