Dataset Information

Knowledge, attitudes and awareness of the human papillomavirus among health professionals in New Zealand.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection that is implicated in 99.7% of cervical cancers and several other cancers that affect both men and women. Despite the role that HPV plays in an estimated 5% of all cancers and the evolving role of HPV vaccination and testing in protecting the public against these cancers, preliminary research in New Zealand health professionals suggest knowledge about HPV may not be sufficient. METHODS:A total of 230 practice nurses, smear takers and other clinical and laboratory staff who attended a range of training events completed a cross-sectional survey between April 2016 and July 2017. The survey explored four broad areas: demographics and level of experience, HPV knowledge (general HPV knowledge, HPV triage and test of cure (TOC) knowledge and HPV vaccine knowledge), attitudes towards the HPV vaccine and self-perceived adequacy of HPV knowledge. RESULTS:The mean score on the general HPV knowledge questions was 13.2 out of 15, with only 25.2% of respondents scoring 100%. In response to an additional question, 12.7% thought (or were unsure) that HPV causes HIV/AIDS. The mean score on the HPV Triage and TOC knowledge questions was 7.4 out of 10, with only 9.1% scoring 100%. The mean score on the HPV vaccine knowledge questions was 6.0 out of 7 and 44.3% scored 100%. Only 63.7% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they were adequately informed about HPV, although 73.3% agreed or strongly agreed that they could confidently answer HPV-related questions asked by patients. Multivariate analyses revealed that knowledge in each domain predicted confidence in responding to patient questions. Furthermore, the number of years since training predicted both HPV knowledge and Triage and TOC knowledge. DISCUSSION:Although overall level of knowledge was adequate, there were significant gaps in knowledge, particularly about the role of HPV testing in the New Zealand National Cervical Screening Programme. More education is required to ensure that misinformation and stigma do not inadvertently result from interactions between health professionals and the public.

SUBMITTER: Sherman SM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6312361 | biostudies-other | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Knowledge, attitudes and awareness of the human papillomavirus among health professionals in New Zealand.

Sherman Susan M SM Bartholomew Karen K Denison Hayley J HJ Patel Hersha H Moss Esther L EL Douwes Jeroen J Bromhead Collette C

PloS one 20181231 12

<h4>Background</h4>Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection that is implicated in 99.7% of cervical cancers and several other cancers that affect both men and women. Despite the role that HPV plays in an estimated 5% of all cancers and the evolving role of HPV vaccination and testing in protecting the public against these cancers, preliminary research in New Zealand health professionals suggest knowledge about HPV may not be sufficient.<h4>Methods</h4>A total of 230 ...[more]

PMID: 30596646

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Project description:BackgroundThe prevalence of CAM use is increasing. This integrative review investigated New Zealand healthcare professionals' practice of, attitudes toward, and knowledge about complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).MethodsLiterature search was conducted in four databases from inception to April 2020. Studies were included if they reported results from primary data collection on practice of, attitudes toward, or knowledge about CAM amongst New Zealand healthcare professionals.ResultsEleven studies (two of 'high-quality', seven of 'moderate-quality', and two of 'low-quality') were identified with 2060 healthcare professionals including general practitioners (GPs), nurses, midwives, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and medical specialists. New Zealand healthcare professionals were generally positive regarding CAM use, but have concerns on the scientific evidence, regulation, safety, financial costs of CAM, and encourage an evidence-based CAM practice and stronger CAM regulation. Findings indicated that around 25% of GPs practise CAM, and 82.3% refer patients to CAM practitioners. When treating pregnant women, 48.4% of physiotherapists practise acupuncture, and 37.3% of midwives recommend CAM. GPs believe that acupuncture is the most helpful CAM modality, and most commonly practiced and referred patients to acupuncture. Up to 58% of GPs and Plunket nurses wanted to receive further education on CAM, and up to 66.7% GPs favour the idea CAM should be included in medical curriculums.ConclusionsNine of the 11 included studies were of moderate to high quality, thus enhancing the reliability of the review findings. In order to better manage CAM in New Zealand New Zealand clinical settings, there is a need to invest in CAM research and education, and enhance CAM regulation. This review is a first step in developing an evidence base to offer insights for further development of effective CAM policies regarding safety, efficacy, regulation and integration in New Zealand.

Project description:PurposeTo evaluate the awareness and existing knowledge of a portion of the Greek population about prevention, screening, and HPV vaccination.MethodsA questionnaire designed in Google forms has been distributed through social media between June 2021 and December 2021 in men and women aged > 16 years old. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 20.0 program. Inferential analysis was performed to evaluate differences in responses among men and women.ResultsWe enrolled 2685 participants. Of those, 2285 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. Participants with a higher education constituted 36.5% of the population. Most respondents were married (59.8%). In socioeconomic terms 75.5% of participants were employed whereas, monthly income ranged between 1000 and 1500 euros in the predominant group (36.8%). Only 40% of females and 3.9% of males were vaccinated against HPV. Adolescent immunization, acceptability rates reached 92.7% among female and 82.1% among male responders. Although, only a small proportion of the participants were not aware of the existence of HPV, 24.1% of males and 23.4% of females had the impression that condom use may provide absolute immunity to HPV and only 51.6% of males and 60.4% of females were aware about the high prevalence of HPV in the general population. Logistic regression analysis indicated that male participants as well as those aged > 50 years and those choosing to reject vaccination had decreased knowledge of the basic pathophysiology of HPV infection, as well as knowledge related to the existence and use of HPV DNA as a screening tool and the existence and efficacy of HPV vaccination.ConclusionOur results indicate that although awareness of the existence of HPV infection is high in Greek general population, the actual perception of the pathophysiology of transmission and importance of HPV testing and vaccination is low. Targeting specific population groups is essential to help increase HPV coverage and screening.

Project description:BackgroundTo allow for accurate and timely diagnosis of developmental coordination disorder (DCD) key stakeholders must be familiar with and be able to identify features of this disorder. No studies to date have investigated the awareness of DCD among key stakeholders in Australia.MethodsAn online survey was complete by 494 Australian participants: primary caregivers (n = 153), teachers (n = 149), allied health professionals (n = 165) and medical professionals (n = 27).ResultsDCD and related terms were among the least known childhood disorders. Approximately half of the sample were familiar with the term DCD but every stakeholder group were more familiar with the term dyspraxia. Allied health professionals demonstrated greater knowledge of the features of DCD, particularly motor features. Every stakeholder group showed poor recognition of the social and psychological effects of DCD. A relatively low percentage of allied health (53%) and medical (33%) professionals reported they had identified or diagnosed DCD and less than 20% of these felt that the DSM-5 contained adequate information to make a DCD diagnosis. Most teachers (82%) believed they should play a role in identifying early warning signs of this disorder, and 80% believed there are children in the school system who were labelled as lazy or defiant when they have motor skills impairments. Primary caregivers were supportive of a diagnosis of DCD being provided; however, only 16% were confident that a physician would provide an accurate and timely diagnosis.ConclusionKey stakeholders play a unique and important role in the identification of children with DCD. Though most participants acknowledge the role that they play, all stakeholder groups demonstrated poor familiarity with the term DCD and low levels of knowledge about the features of this disorder. Improved familiarity and knowledge of the disorder is needed for access to appropriate services and improved long-term outcomes for this condition.

Dataset Information

Knowledge, attitudes and awareness of the human papillomavirus among health professionals in New Zealand.

Publications

Knowledge, attitudes and awareness of the human papillomavirus among health professionals in New Zealand.

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