Attitudes and knowledge of medical students about HPV infection and vaccination

CILJ ISTRAŽIVANJA: Glavni cilj istraživanja je bio odrediti stavove i znanja studenata medicine o HPV infekciji i cijepljenju te uvrditi njihovu povezanost s spolom,godinom studija te studijskim programom (engleski ili hrvatski studij medicine). ISPITANICI I METODE: Diplomski rad je temeljen na anonimnoj i dobrovoljnoj anketi koja je provedena među studentima medicine Medicinskog fakulteta u Splitu. Napravljen je upitnik odobren od strane Etičkog povjerenstva Medicinskog fakulteta u Splitu koji je distribuiran radi boljeg odaziva u papirnatom obliku te internetski putem upitnika napravljenog u programu Google Forms. Ispitanici su svi studenti medicine. Upitnik je ispunilo 492 studenta medicine (59.7%) od ukupnog broja studenata medicine (n=824). REZULTATI: Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da većina studenata medicine nije cijepljena (69,1%) Veću procijepljenost protiv HPV-a imaju djevojke (37%) i studenti engleskog programa studija medicine (52,3%). Istraživanje je pokazalo da studenti imaju izrazito pozitivne stavove prema cijepljenju protiv HPV-a što pokazuje podatak da skoro 90% studenata medicine bi preporučilo cijepljenje svojoj kćeri. Studenti su pokazali da imaju nedovoljno znanja o HPV infekciji i cijepljenju te da stariji studenti i studenti hrvatskog programa studija medicine imaju bolje znanje. Glavni izvor informacija (49,2%) za studente medicine o HPV infekciji i cijepljenju predstavlja internet. ZAKLJUČCI: Studenti medicine u Splitu imaju pozitivne stavove o cijepljenju protiv HPV-a što je važno za njihovu buduću ulogu liječnika. Provedeno istraživanje ukazuje na potrebu izmjene Nastavnog plana studija medicine i bolju edukaciju studenata o HPV infekciji i cijepljenju.
OBJECTIVES: The main aim of this research was to determine the attitudes and knowledge of medical students about HPV infection and vaccination and to determine their association with gender, year of study and study program (English or Croatian Medicine Study). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The graduate thesis is based on an anonymous and voluntary survey conducted among students of medicine at the Faculty of Medicine in Split. A questionnaire approved by the Ethics Committee of the Medical School in Split,was distributed for better responsiveness in paper form and online via a questionnaire made in Google Forms. The sample was made on the basis of the total number of students (n = 824), of which 492 students (59.7%) completed the survey. RESULTS: Results of the research show that most of the medical students have not been vaccinated (69.1%). Girls (37%) and students of English program of medicine studies (52.3%) are more vaccinated against HPV. Research has shown that students have very positive attitudes towards HPV vaccination, indicating that almost 90% of medical students would recommend vaccination to their daughter. Students have shown insufficient knowledge about HPV infection and vaccination and that older students and students of the Croatian program of medicine studies have better knowledge. The main source of information (49.2%) for HPV infection and vaccination is the Internet. CONCLUSION: Medical students in Split have positive attitudes about HPV vaccination, which is important for their future role as docotors. The conducted research suggests the need to change the curriculum of medicine studies and to improve education¨of students on HPV infection and vaccination.