Assessment of the knowledge, attitude and practices about Human Papilloma Virus vaccine among the nurses working in a tertiary hospital in China: A cross-sectional descriptive study.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge about human papilloma virus infection and vaccine, to ascertain the attitude and practices about the vaccine, and to ascertain the determinants preventing people from getting themselves vaccinated. METHODS: The cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted from June to August 2015 in Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Henan, China, and comprised all the nursing staff including nursing students. A piloted semi-structured questionnaire was used for collecting data. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 18. RESULTS: Of the 308 subjects, 190(61.6%) were professional nurses and 118(38.3%) were nursing students. The mean age of the nurses was 36.7±6.2 years and that of the students was 20.4±2.1 years. Overall, 254(82.5%) subjects were aware about the existence of human papilloma virus vaccine; 241(94.9%) thought that the vaccine could effectively prevent the development of cervical cancer; and 108(61.4%) were reluctant to get vaccinated because the vaccine was expensive. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to address the myths and misconceptions associated with vaccines in order to improve the acceptance of human papilloma virus vaccine among them.