scholarly journals The Knowledge and Attitude of Physicians Regarding Vaccinations in Yerevan, Armenia: Challenges for COVID-19

Author(s):  
Arman R Badalyan ◽  
Marine Hovhannisyan ◽  
Gayane Ghavalyan ◽  
Mary M Ter-Stepanyan ◽  
Rory Cave ◽  
...  

Background This primary-data analysis investigates the current level of awareness and medical knowledge of physicians in 20 health facilities in Yerevan, Armenia regarding vaccination, specifically with regard to HPV infection and the recently-introduced Gardasil vaccine used against HPV infection that may have implications for successful roll-outs of national programmes for new vaccines, including those for COVID-19. Methods A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was completed by 348 physicians who met the study inclusion criteria, from 20 out of 36 randomly selected healthcare facilities in Yerevan, Armenia, between Dec 2017 to Sep 2018. The aim of the questionnaire was to identify physicians awareness of and attitudes to HPV-related cervical cancer and the Gardasil vaccine. Responses were analysed using SPSS software (Version 16). Results The responding physicians displayed a respectable level of knowledge and awareness regarding vaccination with regard to some characteristics (e.g. more than 81% knew that HPV infection was commonly asymptomatic, 87% were knew that HPV infection was implicated in most cervical cancers and 87% knew that cervical cancer is the most prevalent cancer amongst women) but low knowledge in others and poor understanding of key issues such as the age at which women were most likely to develop cervical cancer (only 15% answered correctly); whether or not the vaccine should be administered to people who had already been affected (27% answered correctly) and whether sexually active young people should be treated for infection before vaccination (26%). Lack of confidence within the surveyed groups regarding the value of vaccination and, in particular concerns over the reasons for administering it to certain age cohorts, was driven by misconceptions. Conclusions Armenian physicians awareness of vaccine characteristics, the reasons for their inclusion in the national vaccination programme and the characteristics of the diseases they treat can be poor. The study further suggests that drivers of vaccine hesitancy are complex, may not be consistent from vaccine to vaccine, and may vary from generation to generation. The Armenian healthcare sector may need to provide additional training, awareness-raising and educational activities to improve understanding of and trust in vaccination programmes. Further studies are warranted to better understand knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding immunization and vaccination programmes amongst Armenian healthcare workers.

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1188
Author(s):  
Arman R. Badalyan ◽  
Marine Hovhannisyan ◽  
Gayane Ghavalyan ◽  
Mary M. Ter-Stepanyan ◽  
Rory Cave ◽  
...  

This paper highlights the low levels of vaccine coverage and high levels of reported vaccination hesitancy in Yerevan, Armenia, that present profound challenges to the control of disease through routine vaccination programmes. We draw on investigations of hesitancy towards the introduction of new vaccines, using the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil as a case study, to interrogate underlying challenges to vaccine acceptance. We analyse primary data from the introduction of Gardasil, first used in Armenia in 2017, to investigate how levels of medical knowledge amongst physicians in 20 health facilities in Yerevan, Armenia, regarding vaccine science influence attitudes towards the introduction of a newly developed vaccine. A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was completed by 348 physicians between December 2017 and September 2018. The responding physicians displayed a respectable level of knowledge and awareness regarding vaccination with respect to some characteristics (e.g., more than 81% knew that HPV infection was commonly asymptomatic, 73% knew that HPV infection was implicated in most cervical cancers, and 87% knew that cervical cancer is the most prevalent cancer amongst women) but low knowledge and poor understanding of other key issues such as the age at which women were most likely to develop cervical cancer (only 15% answered correctly), whether or not the vaccine should be administered to people who had already been infected (27% answered correctly) and whether sexually active young people should be treated for infection before vaccination (26% answered correctly). The study suggests that the drivers of vaccine hesitancy are complex and may not be consistent from vaccine to vaccine. The Armenian healthcare sector may need to provide additional training, awareness-raising and educational activities alongside the introduction of new vaccines to improve understanding of and trust in vaccination programmes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Cortinhas Monteiro ◽  
Ricardo Roberto de Souza Fonseca ◽  
Tuane Carolina de Sousa Ferreira ◽  
Luana Lorena Silva Rodrigues ◽  
Andreza Reis Brasil da Silva ◽  
...  

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world. Several studies have shown a higher prevalence of HPV infection in HIV-infected women. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and the genotype diversity of HPV infection in HIV-infected women. From April 2010 to December 2012 cervical specimens were collected from 169 HIV-infected women who screening for cervical cancer at Reference Unit in Belém. The detection of HPV infection was performed by nested PCR and HPV type was performed using a commercial system. The prevalence of HPV infection was 63.3%. Of the 47 genotyped samples, 40.4% was found positive for high risk-HPV 16 and 12.8% for high risk-HPV 52. HPV infection was predominant in the group of women with no incidence of cytological abnormalities and more prevalent in women of reproductive age, unmarried, low education level, and who reported use condoms during sexual intercourse. It was observed an association between HPV infection and independent variables, such as condom use, multiple sexual partners, and history of sexually transmitted diseases. High-risk types of HPV infection were prevalent in our study. Infection with multiple high-risk HPV genotypes may potentiate the development of cervical cancer in HIV-infected women.


Author(s):  
Susmita Chaudhuri ◽  
Rekha Dutt ◽  
Shweta Goswami ◽  
Joydeb Roychowdhury

Background: Cervical cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in women especially India. The mainstay of prevention rests on early detection of cases through screening. So, this study aims to determine the knowledge of cervical cancer screening, Human papilloma virus & its vaccination status. Methods: This was an observational study of cross-sectional design conducted among the adult reproductive aged women (18-45 years) visiting Gynaecology OPD at ESI-PGIMSR and ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Joka. A pre-designed and pre-tested interview schedule was prepared. Face to face interview was conducted in local language. Data was compiled & computed in SPSS software version 20. Results: Total respondents were 97. Majority of the respondents (62.9%) belong to the age group of 21-30 years. 8 in 10 participants follow Hinduism. Almost equal percentages of participants were from urban & rural areas (51.5% & 48.5% respectively). 6 in 10 participants had heard about cervical cancer. Majority of the respondents (55%) mentioned friends & family as a source of information. 48.3% of the respondents knew poor genital hygiene as a predisposing risk factor for cervical cancer. Very few knew about other factors like multiple sexual partner (20%), early marriage (33.3%), young age (20%), repeated childbirth (35%), OCP usage (26.7%) as risk factors for cervical cancer. Only one participant had undergone screening test for cervical cancer (1.7%). 46.7% of the respondents were aware about association of HPV infection with cervical cancer. But none of the participants had received vaccine against cervical cancer & they cited lack of awareness as a reason for not receiving the vaccine. Conclusions: A well-designed health education program focusing on effective multipronged IEC strategies utilizing pictorials, audio-visual and personal communication on cervical cancer could yield beneficial results. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 714-722
Author(s):  
Sajeda Khatun ◽  
Ashees Kumar Saha ◽  
Irtiza Ahmed Chowdhury ◽  
Arifa Sultana ◽  
Mst Wazeda Begum ◽  
...  

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is one of the causes of cervical cancer which is preventable. The study was a cross-sectional study with the objective was to determine the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage among working women. A total 236 educated working women were selected purposively from different working places in Dhaka city. A pretested semi- structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The knowledge was assessed by using modified Blooms cut off points which was developed with cervical cancer and vaccine knowledge related questions. The study result revealed that among 236 working women 71.2% knew about the risk factor of cervical cancer. It was found that 92.8% knew about the way of prevention of cervical cancer respectively. The overall knowledge on cervical cancer and vaccine was found to be having good knowledge 21.2%, satisfactory knowledge 41.9% and poor knowledge 36.9%. Out of the total working women only 5.1% had HPV vaccination coverage. Reason behind non vaccinations, 50% mentioned had no knowledge about vaccine, 35.3% mentioned can’t decide and 8.9% mentioned high cost of vaccine. Significant association has been observed in between vaccination coverage with over all knowledge of cervical cancer (p value .04). It may be concluded that HPV vaccination coverage is very low which needs awareness program on this issues through mass media, educational session, counseling and so on to reduce human papillomavirus associated cancers as well as economic burden. Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. December 2020, 6(4): 714-722


2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 18-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Obročníková ◽  
Ľudmila Majerníková

AbstractAim. Cervical cancer is the most common genital malignancy and one of the leading causes of death among female population in Slovakia. At present, this location of cancer is preventable disease visible in screening for premalignant lesions if the women use and participate in such screening regularly. We assessed the knowledge on the cervical cancer screening, the attitude towards it and its utilization among women in Slovakia.Material and methods. A cross-sectional study evaluated the knowledge, attitude and practice of cervical cancer prevention and screening among women. The sample was composed of 239 women aged 18-64 years. Data collection was conducted by selfadministered questionnaire in a period from January to April 2015.Results. Respondents exhibited an average knowledge of cervical cancer, about risk factors and early signs, but awareness of cervical cancer screening was satisfactory. Despite the fact that respondents expressed good attitude to cervical cancer screening, their level of practice was low (64% participation in preventative gynaecology check-ups and 43% in Pap smear tests within one year and 44% within three years). In the study we could observe better results in women with higher education when it comes to an illness (p < .001), its prevention (p < .001) and risk behaviour (p < .001).Conclusions. The awareness of cervical cancer among women in Slovakia is limited. In the future there is a need to educate and promote awareness of cervical cancer among women to reduce the burden of morbidity and mortality.


Author(s):  
Aisha Nasser Al Saadi ◽  
Aisha Hamed Al Muqbali ◽  
Eihab Dawi

Objectives: This study aimed to assess knowledge of cervical cancer and its prevention among Omani women aged 20 to 65 years. Method: This analytic cross-sectional study took place at primary healthcare institutions, in the Al Buraimi governorate, Oman, between November 2018 I believe that in response to comment #5 too much information may have been removed from the Results section, therefore we return the first two paragraphs that were removed to the Results section and make them more concise during the copy editing stage.  and February 2019. The study was carried out on the basis of a predesigned, validated, and self-administered 55 question questionnaire. Results: Data from seven hundred and ninety-one completed questionnaires were included in the final analysis, which represents a response rate of 79.1% of the total. The results of the study indicated that 86.7 percent of surveyed women had previously heard of cervical cancer, and 13.0 per cent assumed the possibility of this disease to affect them in the future. The results showed that women had low awareness of the association between Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and cervical cancer (24.7%). Participants considered HPV infection and initiation of sexual intercourse at an age younger than 17 years as the lowest risks associated with cervical cancer. The results also indicated that 63.8% of women were unaware of a vaccination 'against HPV related cervical cancer' and many of respondents were unaware of Pap test. Women aged over 30 years, those married, and those with a high level of education were more likely to be aware of cervical cancer. Conclusion: General knowledge of cervical cancer among women aged 20 to 65 years is insufficient. Young women aged 20-30 are largely unaware. Thus, concerted efforts are needed to promote awareness among women in Oman. Keywords: Cervical cancer, risk factor, Human Papilloma Virus, vaccine, Pap test.


2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (47) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Verger ◽  
Fanny Collange ◽  
Lisa Fressard ◽  
Aurélie Bocquier ◽  
Arnaud Gautier ◽  
...  

This article sought to estimate the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy (VH) among French general practitioners (GPs) and to study its demographic, professional and personal correlates. We conducted a cross-sectional telephone survey about GPs’ vaccination-related attitudes and practices in 2014 in a national panel of 1,712 GPs in private practice, randomly selected from an exhaustive database of health professionals in France. A cluster analysis of various dimensions of VH (self-reported vaccine recommendations, perceptions of vaccine risks and usefulness) identified three clusters: 86% of GPs (95% confidence interval (CI): 84–88) were not or only slightly vaccine-hesitant, 11% (95% CI: 9–12) moderately hesitant and 3% (95% CI: 3–4) highly hesitant or opposed to vaccination. GPs in the latter two clusters were less frequently vaccinated and reported occasional practice of alternative medicine more often than those in the first cluster; they also described less experience with vaccine-preventable diseases and more experience with patients who they considered had serious adverse effects from vaccination. This study confirms the presence of VH among French GPs but also suggests that its prevalence is moderate. Given GPs’ central role in vaccination, these results nevertheless call for a mobilisation of stakeholders to address VH among GPs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Auliana Puji Lestari ◽  
Prima Belia Fathana ◽  
Wahyu Sulistya Affarah

Patient compliance refers to the suitability of behavior against treatment recommendations include timing, dose and frequency of treatment. Compliance to tuberculosis treatment was actually very complex and dynamic with various factors that interacted each other, and therefore it will influence on patient’s behavior decision. Patient who has a good compliance will increase success to his recovery. This study was carried out to determine the correlation between tuberculosis patient behavior which consists of the domain of knowledge, attitudes and practices with compliance to taking anti-tuberculosis drugs at the Puskesmas Cakranegara commencing on July to November 2020. This research was an observational analytic study using a cross sectional method. Population sample was patients who diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis which undergoing category 1 treatment at Puskesmas Cakranegara. The data used in the study was primary data established from interviewing patients using a questionnaire on selected Pulmonary TB patients including respondents who eligible as the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The number of samples in this study were 30 infected-people. The data obtained were analyzed using the Spearman correlation test.  The correlation test of the study showed that there was no significant correlation between variable of knowledge and medication compliance (p = 0.079, r = 0.325).  However, the attitude variables had a significant correlation with medication compliance (p = 0.000, r = 0.715).  Similarly, the practices variable has a significant correlation to the medication compliance (p = 0.000, r = 0.656). This study found that there was no significant correlation between knowledge and compliance taking anti-tuberculosis drugs. However, it was found that there was a significant correlation between attitudes and practices with compliance to taking anti-tuberculosis drugs.


Author(s):  
Neeti Nisha S. Jha ◽  
Neha Choudhary ◽  
Sunita Maheshwari

Background: The Pap smear is a reliable, inexpensive and effective screening test for cervical cancer; the second most common cancer among women worldwide. We aimed to determine women’s knowledge, attitudes and practice towards Pap smear and barriers for the screening in a public hospital.Methods: It was a hospital based cross sectional study on 300 women who were interviewed face-to-face with a structured questionnaire regarding their socio demographic features (8 questions), knowledge (20 questions), attitudes (7 statements) and practice (undertook test or not) towards Pap smear.Results: A total of 320 women were approached for interview of which 300 responded of which 33.33% had heard of cervical cancer. At least one symptom and one risk factor were known to 13.33% and 20% participants. Only 31.33% participants had heard, and 6.67% actually underwent screening test, however, 76.25% of the participants expressed a favourable attitude for screening.Conclusions: Education level influences attitude towards screening and actual practice depends on age, income, and marital status. This study shows that despite the fact that women had suboptimal level of knowledge regarding cervical cancer, their attitude is favourable for screening. The knowledge and practice of women was inadequate and needs to be promoted. 


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