G-3836

Validity of the Human Papillomavirus Knowledge Scale and Its Application in a Cross-Sectional Survey

 Fatemeh Mohammadjani ¹ ℗, Fatemeh Fotovvati ², Mehran Rostami Varnosfaderani ³, Zahedeh Khoshnazar ³, Mohammadreza Asghari ¹, Zahra Amirian ², Mohammadreza Sharifhosseini ⁴, Parisa Hosseini Koukamari ⁵ ©   

 
Abstract

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) has significantly impacted women's health worldwide. Recent data indicate that approximately 570,000 cases of HPV-related cancers are reported annually among women, with about 530,000 of these being cervical cancer cases. Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women and accounts for 7.5% of all female cancer-related deaths. More than two-thirds of cervical cancer cases are diagnosed in less developed countries, highlighting the urgent need for HPV vaccination in these regions. Since awareness of young people, especially students, about HPV is essential for designing effective interventions in prevention, screening, and vaccination, the present study aimed to validate an HPV awareness questionnaire and use it to measure students' awareness. This questionnaire has not been validated in Iran or used in domestic studies before. Methods and Materials: The psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Human Papillomavirus Knowledge Scale (HPV-KS) were assessed through forward translation, back-translation, and evaluation of face and content validity by expert and target groups (each n=10). The questionnaire included 29 items across three domains: general HPV knowledge, HPV testing, and HPV vaccination. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 207 randomly selected students from Saveh University of Medical Sciences to assess construct validity. Internal consistency of the scale was confirmed with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.78. Results: The present cross-sectional study included participants with a mean age of 22.47 years (SD = 4.65). Among them, 66% were female and 87% were single. Of the 13% who were married, the maximum reported duration of marriage was one year. Most participants (73%) held a bachelor's degree. Additionally, 17% reported being sexually active, with 14.5% of these individuals engaging in sexual activity between the ages of 19 and 29. Only 1% of participants had received the HPV vaccine. The mean scores for general HPV knowledge, HPV testing knowledge, and HPV vaccination knowledge were 10.67 (SD = 1.69), 2.55 (SD = 1.01), and 1.29 (SD = 1.23), respectively. The overall HPV knowledge score was 14.52 (SD = 2.27). All items demonstrated an impact score greater than 1.5, with CVR and CVI values exceeding 0.99 and 0.79, respectively, indicating acceptable content validity. Conclusion and Discussion: The study revealed moderate overall HPV knowledge but inadequate HPV vaccination coverage among participants. The questionnaire demonstrated acceptable content validity, supporting its use in assessing HPV-related knowledge. Findings highlight the urgent need for educational programs to raise awareness and improve vaccination rates. Increasing knowledge about HPV testing and vaccination is essential for effective prevention.

Keywords: Human Papillomavirus, Knowledge, Questionnaire, Psychometric evaluation, Cross-sectional study