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Abstract
Introduction/Background Awareness and knowledge of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and the HPV vaccine vary among age groups. In this study we investigated the level of HPV awareness among age groups of men and women aged between >16 years old.
Methodology The study was based on a survey conducted in Greece that was distributed through social media. The survey included 24 questions relevant to the prevalence and pathophysiology of HPV infection, 5 questions that aimed to evaluate knowledge related to the existence of HPV testing and 9 questions that evaluated knowledge related to the existence and efficacy of HPV vaccination. Responses were classified as correctly or incorrectly answered/not answered. Six distinct age groups were collected that included men and women aged 16–20, 21–25, 26–30, 31–35, 36–40, 40–50 and >50 years old. Crude differences were calculated among the groups as well differences among those that provided the best answers.
Results Overall, 2,685 answers were received within a period of 6 months. Of those, 2,285 were women, 386 were men, while 14 respondents chose not to respond to this question. Various age groups were detected with those aged between 26 and 30 years old being the predominant one, followed by those aged 31–35 years. Crude differences among the age groups were statistically significant among the included age groups for all three categories including HPV infection, HPV DNA testing and HPV vaccine awareness (p<.001). The percentage of participants obtaining the best answers (achieving the highest percentile) also significantly differed among the various groups (p<.001 for HPV infection; p=.005 for HPV DNA testing and p<.001 for HPV vaccination.
Conclusion In conclusion, the awareness and knowledge of HPV infection, HPV DNA testing and benefits of HPV vaccination are influenced by age. Targeted educational interventions should be designed to address these disparities and improve awareness among different age groups and populations.
Disclosures The authors report no conflicts of interest.
Pairwise comparisons of crude knowledge among the different age groups