IMPACT OF A DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION ON KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND BEHAVIOURAL INTENTIONS REGARDING HPV, CERVICAL CANCER, AND HPV VACCINATION AMONG NON-MEDICAL FEMALE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY
Main Article Content
Keywords
Cervical Cancer, Human Papillomavirus, HPV Vaccine, Health Education, Knowledge, Attitude, Young Adults.
Abstract
Background
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in India, primarily driven by persistent infection with high-risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV) types. Despite the availability of effective prophylactic HPV vaccines, awareness remains sub-optimal, particularly among non-medical young adults. This study evaluated baseline knowledge regarding HPV and cervical cancer among non-medical female university students and assessed the effectiveness of a digital educational intervention on their knowledge, attitude, and behavioural intent.
Methods
A single-arm, pre- and post-intervention quasi-experimental study was conducted among 100 non-medical female students selected via purposive sampling. Baseline knowledge was recorded using a pre-tested, structured electronic questionnaire administered through Google Forms. A comprehensive digital educational presentation was delivered via email. Post-intervention evaluation utilized identical knowledge assessment questions and a 5-point Likert scale to gauge attitudinal shifts. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and McNemar’s test to determine statistical significance (p < 0.05).
Results
At baseline, while 75% of participants were aware of cervical cancer, deep health literacy was critically low: only 51% knew it was caused by a virus, and just 31% understood the link between HPV and cervical cancer. Only 21% identified high-risk HPV types (16 and 18). Although 48% knew a vaccine existed, only 16% could name specific vaccines, and a mere 12% were vaccinated. Post-intervention, McNemar's test demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in all core knowledge domains (p < 0.001). Highly favourable behavioural intent was observed, with 95% of participants expressing willingness to undergo vaccination and 88% committing to peer advocacy.
Conclusion
Knowledge regarding HPV-induced oncogenesis and vaccination among non-medical female students is critically low despite high general literacy. A brief, targeted digital intervention successfully bridged knowledge gaps and significantly enhanced vaccine acceptance. Integrating structured HPV awareness campaigns into university orientation programs is urgently needed to reduce the cervical cancer burden in India.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in JPTCP are licensed under Copyright Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Dr. Manish Garg
MBBS, MD (Community Medicine) Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Rama Medical College, Hospital & Research Centre, Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Dr. Chhavi Kiran Gupta
MBBS, MD (Community Medicine) Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine, Subharti Medical College, Swami Vivekanand Subharti University, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India
