https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7878-1586
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ABSTRACT
Human papillomavirus (HPV) plays an essential role in cervical cancer development. Angola has a high cervical cancer incidence rate (36.1 per 100,000); therefore, knowledge of HPV among clinicians is essential for the prevention of cervical cancer and educating at-risk individuals. This study aimed to evaluate knowledge of HPV among healthcare professionals in Angola. A 44-item questionnaire was distributed to 65 healthcare professionals who attended a conference on the cancer burden in Angola. Non-parametric and multiple regression analyses were conducted. Of the participants (55.6%) were male, and 33.3% were aged 31–40 years, 56.3% had an undergraduate degree, and 35.9% had a postgraduate degree. All participants worked in healthcare in academic and/or clinical settings, with 36.7% in joint contracts. Most (62.2%) knew that early sexual debut increases the risk of contracting HPV, and HPV vaccines are most effective if administered before sexual debut. However, there was limited knowledge regarding the virus transmission. The mean HPV knowledge score was 11.08 ± 8.76 and knowledge was higher among older healthcare workers (>50 years) with a postgraduate degree and working in a clinical role. Overall, HPV knowledge was limited among the respondents. Policymakers should consider promoting knowledge and targeted public health initiatives among healthcare professionals in Angola.
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the stakeholders who participated in this study, thanks for their visionary and helpful advice and suggestions. The author(s) read and approved the final manuscript. Where authors are identified as personnel of the International Agency for Research on Cancer / World Health Organisation, the authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this article and they do not necessarily represent the decisions, policy, or views of their associated organisations.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Data availability statement
Data for this study is not available for sharing due to ethical restrictions. Participants of this study did not agree for their data to be shared publicly, so supporting data is not available.