• Journal of Home Health Care Nursing
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.291-299
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the influences of sex-relatedl knowledge, sex-related attitude and knowledge of cervical cancer on knowledge of human papilloma virus (HPV) among female high school students. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with a convenience sample of 545 second-grade female high school students of three different schools. Results: Knowledge of HPV was positively correlated with sex-related knowledge (r=.36, p<.001), sex-related attitude (r=.14 p=.001) and knowledge of cervical cancer (r=.62, p<.001). Significant predictors affecting knowledge of HPV among female high school students were knowledge of cervical cancer (${\beta}$=.57) and sex-related knowledge (${\beta}$=.11), explaining 39.6% of the variance in knowledge of cervical cancer among female high school students (F=178.34, p<.001). Conclusion: Based on the outcomes of this study, in order to improve knowledge of HPV among female high school students, school based sexual education linked to HPV and cervical cancer must be included in the curriculum.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2587-2592
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• 2012

Background: Limited human papillomavirus (HPV) related knowledge might be a barrier to future vaccine acceptance. From 2008-2010, PATH conducted an HPV vaccination demonstration project in partnership with the government immunization program in Vietnam, which included awareness campaigns prior to vaccination. Objective: To assess and compare knowledge and attitudes about cervical cancer and HPV vaccines between mothers and daughters, and whether knowledge was associated with vaccination status. Methods: We analyzed HPV-related knowledge and attitude data from mother-daughter paired responses to a cross-sectional household survey. After parents completed the survey, daughters were asked the same questions. We calculated the frequency of responses for each question and devised a scaled composite measure for knowledge. Results: Participants believed they had received enough information about cervical cancer and HPV vaccines and it was sufficient to make a decision about vaccination. Fifty percent of the participants knew HPV causes cervical cancer and 80% knew the HPV vaccine prevented cervical cancer. Mothers had more knowledge about cervical cancer and HPV infection (p<0.01), compared to daughters, who had more vaccine specific knowledge (p<0.01). However, the total mean knowledge score was similar for the groups. Girls not fully vaccinated had a lower mean knowledge score than fully vaccinated girls (p<0.001). Conclusions: Our results suggest that the purpose of the HPV vaccine was clearly messaged; however, some misconceptions about cervical cancer and HPV still exist. Limited knowledge about the magnitude of cervical cancer, HPV as a cause of cervical cancer, and HPV vaccines may have contributed to incomplete vaccination.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.3699-3704
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• 2014

Background: This study aimed to determine knowledge, attitudes and believes about cervical cancer and human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination with related factors in Turkish university students. Materials and Methods: This descriptive and cross sectional study was conducted between June-July 2013 in Hitit University located in Corum, a rural area to the East of Ankara. The population consisted of 550 university students who were training in first and last year from Faculties of Economics, Theology and Health. We reached 463 volunteer students without selection. The study of data was collected with a 44 item questionaire covering socio-demographic features, knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about cervical cancer, HPV and vaccination. Also for this study ethic committee report was taken from Bozok University. Data were evaluated with the SPSS 17.0 programme using the Ki kare test with P<0.05 accepted as statistically significant. Results: It was seen that there was a statistically significant variation between classrooms and departments of students with knowledge about cervical cancer and human papilloma virus and vaccine (p<0.001; p<0.01; p<0.05). Also we found low attitudes to thinking about taking HPV vaccination of girls and their children in the future. Conclusions: In light of the study findings; it was concluded that knowledge levels, beliefs and attitudes of the university students about cervical cancer, HPV infection and HPV vaccination were low.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.1719-1724
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• 2015

Background: Breast and cervical cancers are the most common types of cancer in women worldwide. Previous studies in Asia have shown that related knowledge and awareness is low among female university students. The goal of this study was to assess breast and cervical cancer knowledge, practices, and awareness among female university students in Samsun,Turkey. Materials and Methods: This research was a cross-sectional survey of female university students using a self-administered. questionnaire to investigate participant awareness and knowledge of breast and cervical cancer. A total of 301 female university students participated. Descriptive statistics and chi square tests were used for data analysis. Results: The mean age of the participants in this study was $22.0{\pm}5.91$ years. Regarding family history, 89.7 % of the students had no known familial history of breast cancer. Students (65.4%) had knowledge about breast self examination and 52.2 % of them had performed breast self examinationm while 55.1% of them had knowledge about prevention of cervical cancer. Conclusions: Although the results are preliminary, the study points to an insufficient knowledge of university students in Samsun about breast and cervical cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.16
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• pp.6691-6695
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• 2014

Background: A population-based cervical cancer screening program using visual inspection with acetic acid was launched in Maldives in 2014. Our study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of women in relation to risk factors of cervical cancer, early detection of the disease and its prevention. Materials and Methods: The questionnaire based survey was conducted among 20 to 50 year old women, systematically sampled to represent three regions of Maldives. Trained investigators interviewed a total of 2,845 women at home. Results: The prevalence of the risk factors of cervical cancer like early age at marriage and childbirth, multiple marriages, multiple marriages of the husbands, and multiple pregnancies was high. More women knew about breast cancer than cervical cancer. Even among the small number of women who knew of cervical cancer, only 34.6% had the knowledge of at least one early symptom. Very few women knew that the cancer could be prevented by any test. Only 6.2% of the women reported having ever undergone a Pap smear. Many women had the misconception that cervical cancer was infectious. In Maldives the younger women have high literacy rate due to the policy of universal free education and those with higher levels of education had improved knowledge of cervical cancer and its risk factors. The prevalence of risk factors also reduced with improved literacy. Conclusions: Awareness about risk factors and prevention of cervical cancer is limited among Maldivian women in spite of having high exposure to some of the risk factors. A universal literacy program in the country has helped to improve the knowledge of cervical cancer prevention and to reduce the exposure to various risk factors in the younger population.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.617-624
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• 2004

Purpose. Korean American women have twice the rate of cervical cancer than white women and demonstrate low rates in participation in cervical cancer screening. This study was to describe the perceptions about cervical cancer and factors related to cervical cancer screening among Korean American women. Method. Focus group methods. Results. Five themes emerged. First, knowledge about cervical cancer; misconceptions about cervical cancer, its causes, reproductive anatomy and the treatment Second, perceived meanings of having cervical cancer; most of the women felt that cervical cancer represented a loss of femininity and existential value of woman-hood. Third, knowledge about cervical cancer screening; regular medical check-ups were necessary for early detection and prevention of cervical cancer. Forth, experiences and perceived meanings of cervical cancer screening; the participants expressed their feelings; embarrassment, fear, shame and shyness. Fifth, practices of cervical cancer screening; various intervals in participating in cervical cancer screening. But they mentioned several deterrents, language, insurance, time constraint, embarrassment, fear of the screening results, misbelief about susceptibility, lack of health prevention behavior, and lack of information written in Korean. Conclusion: Results emphasize the critical need for culturally appropriate health education to encourage participation of Korean American women in cervical cancer screening.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare knowledge level of those clinical nurses who received HPV vaccine and those who did not and their perception of the relatedness of HPV vaccine to causes of cervical cancer. Methods: A total of 249 clinical nurses were surveyed from June to July, 2009. The questionnaire originally developed by Kim & Ahn (2007) examined HPV-related knowledge originally and the tool for perception of the causes of cervical cancer was originally developed by Kim (1993). The total number of subjects equaled to: vaccination group of 52 (20.9%) and non-vaccination group of 197 (79.1%). Results: Vaccination group showed significantly higher score of both knowledge of HPV vaccination and the perception of the cause of cervical cancer in comparison to the nonvaccination group at (p<.05). Among 4 subscales of the perception of causes of cervical cancer, destiny and constitution subscale scores were significantly different between the two groups at (p<.05). Conclusion: Clinical nurses need to constantly update with current knowledge of HPV and be prepared with currently changing cancer prevention strategies, especially in cervical cancer.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.3617-3620
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• 2015

Cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide, with over 500,000 new cases diagnosed annually and 50% mortality rate in Asia. In the United States, approximately 10,370 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed annually, and estimated 3,710 deaths occur from the disease, making it the sixth most common cause of malignancy among American women. This study aims to provide awareness about cervical cancer as well as an updated knowledge about the prevalence and incidence of cervical cancer in Asia.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1463-1470
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• 2012

Objective: The aims of this study were to explore Turkish women's knowledge, behavior and beliefs related to cervical cancer and screening. Methods: The study was performed in two cities in the East of Turkey between September 2009 and April 2010, with a sampling group of 387 women. Data were collected by means of an interview form with the Health Belief Model Scale for Cervical Cancer and Pap Smear Test - Turkish Version. Results: Women in the research group were found to have poor knowledge, inadequate health behavior and low/medium level false beliefs regarding cervical cancer screening. There was relation between health beliefs and characteristics of women and particularly education (F = 10.80, p = 0.01). Similarly, it was found that Pap smear barriers were influenced by demographic characteristics and that women with low-level education (p = 0.001), divorced women (p = 0.05), women with low-income(p = 0.05), women who gave their first birth when they were 18 or younger (p = 0.05) and women not applying any contraceptive method at all (p = 0.01) were determined to have negative Pap smear barriers. Conclusions: Primarily the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of women in the target group should be evaluated to increase their participation in cervical cancer screening and to prepare effective education strategies.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.3011-3015
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• 2014

Background: Level of midwife knowledge is particularly important because of their role in the cervical cancer prevention programme. The aim of this study was to examine differences in the level of knowledge among health care students, midwives and women in the general population of Serbia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional approach was used with health care students of the medical shool, midwives in their practice, and women visiting a chosen general practitioner as respondents. Results: In comparison with the students and midwives, women had lower level of knowledge of causative agents of the cervical cancer, genital warts, HPV types, screening for cervical cancer as well as about the target population for vaccine and its role. Differences in the numbers of right answers of respondents were statistically significant (p<0.001). Four or more correct answers were obtained from 22.7% women, 35.3% from midwives and 83.8% from students. Conclusions: Midwives should improve their own level of knowledge related to preventive practice for cervical cancer, as well as their personal compliance with recommended practices, in order to be qualified and credible promoters of cervical cancer control among women in Serbia.