Knowledge, awareness and practices regarding human papillomavirus vaccine amongst secondary school girls and mothers in North India.
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BACKGROUND: Lack of awareness about cervical cancer, its aetiology and preventive measures are barriers to disease control. OBJECTIVES: To study the knowledge, attitudes and practices of adolescent girls and their mothers regarding cervical cancer, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, and preventive strategies. DESIGN: A quasi-experimental studyamongst girls aged 15-18 years and their mothers. In total, 110 girls and 100 mothers, who gave their consent, were given a pre-intervention questionnaire to assess baseline knowledge and attitudes towards cervical cancer, HPV vaccine, and preventive strategies. Printed educational material was provided. A post-intervention survey was undertaken after a minimum gap of 2 weeks. RESULTS: Ninety-one girls and 82 mothers with a diverse demographic profile completed the study. Pre-intervention findings revealed notable baseline awareness of cervical cancer, albeit with limited understanding of associated symptoms and preventive measures, including HPV vaccination. Post-intervention, knowledge regarding the symptoms of cervical cancer increased significantly among girls (p = 0.000), and awareness of early detection of cervical cancer increased significantly among mothers (p = 0.002). Knowledge about Pap smear tests increased among girls (p = 0.000). An increase in vaccination was seen in girls at the end of the study, but the difference was not significant (pre-intervention 23.1 %, post-intervention 31.9 %; p = 0.045). CONCLUSION: Significant improvements were observed in adolescent girls and mothers regarding awareness of symptoms and early detection of cervical cancer.