Knowledge of Cervical Cancer and Human Papillomavirus among Japanese Women.

BACKGROUND: The combination of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and cervical cancer tests are globally recommended. Although knowledge regarding cervical cancer and HPV and experience of HPV vaccination are reportedly closely associated, the associations between knowledge and frequency of cervical cancer testing are unclear. METHODS: We conducted a questionnaire survey regarding the knowledge of cervical cancer and HPV and experience of HPV vaccination and frequency of cervical cancer testing including cervical cytology and HPV testing. RESULTS: Among 99 women who visited Tsuruha Festa, most of the 77 non-medical workers who received information on cervical cancer and HPV through the Internet were not more likely to have knowledge about cervical cancer and HPV than were 12 medical workers who had gotten information in vocational school or university curriculum. The rates of HPV vaccination, cervical cytology, and HPV testing were 4.0%, 14.1%, and 4.0%, respectively, among participants and did not differ significantly according to participant job and age. Knowledge about cervical cancer and HPV was associated with experience of HPV vaccination and frequency of cervical cytology and was not associated with frequency of HPV testing. CONCLUSIONS: We observed insufficient knowledge about cervical cancer and HPV among non-medical workers as well as low HPV vaccination, cervical cytology, and HPV testing rates, and knowledge about cervical cancer and HPV to which frequency of cervical cancer testing were partially related. Therefore, the government should take measures to enhance public awareness about cervical cancer and HPV through social media such as the Internet.
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Innvestigation on patient's and pharmacist's attitudes toward medical services in community pharmacies.

An investigation of patients' and pharmacists' attitudes toward medical services provided in community pharmacies was conducted in September, 2007. Respondents to the survey were patients and pharmacists in 160 stores of a chain pharmacy. The questionnaire consisted of 15 question items about pharmacy functions and three comprehensive evaluations of the pharmacy. The degree of importance and satisfaction was surveyed among 8995 patients, and the degree of importance and sufficiency was surveyed among 408 pharmacists. Multivariate analyses were performed using these data. Patients considered pharmacy functions as less important than did pharmacists for all items. The difference in attitude toword "the medication notebook" was particularly marked. Next, factor analysis was performed of the degree of importance in patients' and pharmacists' responses and three potential factors were extracted for each. However, the items constituting potential factors differed slightly between patients and pharmacists. Finally, multiple-regression analyses using three comprehensive evaluations as the independent variable and satisfaction with 15 items as a dependent variable were performed. In all three models, the standardization regression coefficient of "explanation of medicine" was large in the regression model of patients. On the other hand, the standardization regression coefficient of "consideration for patients" was large in the model of pharmacists. The influence of some patient attribute dummy variables was significant. Differences in the attitudes toward medical services and pharmacy functions were found between patients and pharmacists, and some items that should be improved were revealed.