Evaluation of health care personnel?s knowledge level regarding human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and relationship between HPV and cervical cancer

Introduction: Cervical cancer is the second most frequently encountered cancer in women. The most important risk factor for cervical cancer is Human Papillomavirus (HPV). HPV vaccine, which is developed to provide protection against cervical cancer, started being used in the world.Aim: A cross-sectional and the descriptive research is carried out to look through the health care personnel?s knowledge regarding the relationship between HPV and cervical cancer and to survey their knowledge and attitude regarding HPV vaccine.Materials and Methods: The study was carried out among 366 personnel (including nurses, midwives, health staff and doctors) working in gynecological diseases and childbirth clinics and pediatric clinics of 12 hospitals located in Bursa city center between 15 June - 30 September 2009. A survey including demographic data, relationship between cervical cancer and HPV and HPV vaccine was conducted on health care personnel. SPSS 17.0 package program was used for statistical evaluation.Results: 83.3% of the participants were female and 16.7% were male. Average age of the participants is retrieved as 33.95±9.02. 49.4% of participants were nurses. More than half of the participants work at gynecological diseases and childbirth clinics (55.2%). 89.1% of the participants stated that they have knowledge about cervical cancer. The relationship between having the knowledge that cervical cancer and various types of HPV are related, and occupation groups was found statistically significant (p=0.04). The relationship between knowledge level regarding HPV and gender, marital status, occupation, clinic and working hours was examined and it was found that there is a statistically significant relationship between knowledge of cervical cancer vaccine and gender, occupation and clinic variables (gender: p=0.01, occupation: p=0.00, clinic: p=0.01). 15.3% of the participants stated that they haven?t heard of HPV vaccine. It was found that participants working at gynecological diseases and childbirth clinics have a higher knowledge level (p=0.00). However, no statistically significant difference between knowledge level and marital status was found (p=0.07). Most of the participants are willing to gain knowledge about cervical cancer and HPV vaccine (85.5% and 84.4%).Conclusion: Health care personnel?s knowledge and attitude regarding HPV vaccine will play a significant role in administration of HPV vaccine and raising the awareness of public. According to the retrieved data, it can be determined that health care personnel have knowledge regarding the relationship between HPV and cervical cancer, and HPV vaccine. However, more than 15% of health care personnel, who are concerned and in direct relation with the target population of vaccination, did not know that such a vaccine existed. Further training is required to be able to educate all of the health care personnel who are willing to gain knowledge and have important responsibilities for education of public and securing good health.Key Words:Human papillomavirus, Cervix cancer, Vaccine, Health care personnel