Dental students’ awareness and attitudes toward HPV-related oral cancer: a cross sectional study at the University of Jordan

Abstract

Background The incidence of human papilloma virus (HPV)-related oral cancer has recently increased worldwide. The role of dentists is of prime importance in the early detection of oral cancer which would result in a favourable outcome for the patients. The aim of the current study was to assess the knowledge, awareness and attitudes of dental students, interns and postgraduate maxillofacial residents at the University of Jordan (UJ) to different aspects of oral cancer, particularly those related to HPV. Methods A paper-based survey was conducted at UJ among all pre-clinical dental students (pre-clinical group), clinical dental students, interns and postgraduate maxillofacial residents (clinical group). The survey included five sections comprising 29 items. The sections included questions investigating oral cancer knowledge, oral cancer screening, HPV knowledge and the ability to discuss personal topics with patients. Results A total of 376 respondents out of 1052 potential participants completed at least one item of the survey (study coverage of 35.7%). Among the study participants, the pre-clinical group represented 41.2% ( n = 155) and the clinical group represented 58.8% ( n = 221). The majority of participants in the clinical group showed better knowledge on oral cancer potential anatomic sites, clinical presentation and possible risk factors compared to the pre-clinical group. Most participants in the clinical group ( n = 195, 88.2%) correctly identified HPV as a risk factor for oral cancer development. The majority of participants in the clinical group displayed suitable attitude towards oral cancer screening despite their desire for a reliable screening device and additional training in oral cancer screening. A number of limitations in basic knowledge about HPV was noticed among participants in the clinical group particularly related to unawareness of the vaccine availability. The majority of participants in the clinical group displayed hesitancy in discussing personal topics with the patients, including the history of previous sexually transmitted infections and sexual abuse. Conclusions Gaps in knowledge regarding HPV-related oral cancer has been detected which necessitate intervention measures including curricular changes, training workshops and awareness campaigns. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12903-019-0864-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Awareness and Knowledge Among Dental and Medical Undergraduate Students Regarding Human Papilloma Virus and Its Available Preventive Measures

“…A cross-sectional study by Sallam et al found gaps in knowledge regarding HPV-related oral cancer among dental students, thus necessitating interventions such as curricular changes, training workshops, and awareness campaigns [14]. Nearly 88% of the students correctly identified HPV as a risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer development, compared to only 9.39% in the present study [14].…”

“…A cross-sectional study by Sallam et al found gaps in knowledge regarding HPV-related oral cancer among dental students, thus necessitating interventions such as curricular changes, training workshops, and awareness campaigns [14]. Nearly 88% of the students correctly identified HPV as a risk factor for oropharyngeal cancer development, compared to only 9.39% in the present study [14]. Another study by Kepka et al revealed that up to 83.7% of oral health students believed that administering HPV knowledge and vaccination fell within the scope of practice of dental professionals, encouraging their participation in eradicating this virus [15].…”

Papilomavírus Humano enquanto fator etiológico do Carcinoma Epidermoide Bucal

“…Entretanto, barreiras sociais ainda precisam ser ultrapassadas para que esses profissionais consigam intervir de maneira eficaz em fatores determinantes para o processo de saúde-doença de seus pacientes [33][34][35] . Tais barreiras incluem, principalmente, a dificuldade da abordagem de assuntos relacionados a doenças sexualmente transmissíveis, como o HPV [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] .…”

“…Ressalta-se, ainda, que o exame clínico e o adequado acompanhamento permitem que ocorra a detecção de diversas lesões, anomalias e alterações na cavidade bucal [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] . Ademais, a identificação precoce de lesões potencialmente malignas, como o carcinoma epidermoide bucal, permite que as chances de cura aumentem consideravelmente 33 .…”

Pilot Test of a Spanish Version of a Previously Validated HPV Survey that Evaluates Dental Students’ Knowledge, Perception and Clinical Practices in Latin America

“…Globally, HPV knowledge and awareness has been reported to be low among the dental student, oral health student, and oral health professional populations; however, the construct validity of these instruments is questionable as many were study-speci c [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21]. Likewise, studies that examine HPV knowledge and awareness in Latin American countries are limited, but point to suboptimal levels of knowledge and awareness of HPV in countries such as Brazil and Ecuador [22,23].…”