A Longitudinal KAP Study on HPV Immunised Adolescents’ in Malaysia

Abstract

Introduction: Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection is the most frequently encountered sexually transmitted disease. Lack of HPV knowledge and vaccination intentions are the main concern for its high prevalence. The primary outcome measure were to assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Perception (KAP) levels among HPV vaccinated secondary school adolescents and estimate the impact of educational intervention through repeated measures. Methods: A longitudinal study was performed using pre-validated questionnaire and educational pamphlet as study and intervention tools. The survey was conducted in three phases, (0, .5 and 3-6 months). The scores were categorized based on original blooms cut-off scale. Descriptive statistics for categorical data and Friedman's test for repeated measures followed by pos hoc Wilcoxon signed rank test with Bonferroni correction (type-1 error) was used for inferential statistics. Result: The research findings showed significant differences (p<.001) in KAP scores, observed at all three phases (ph). The KAP scores were 58%, moderate at ph1, 67% good at ph2 and 59% good at ph3. The knowledge scores were, 63% poor at ph1, 64% good at ph2 and 64% good at ph3. An estimate for impact of intervention for knowledge gain revealed, a significant (p<.001) overall median knowledge score of 9(6) and 15(4) between ph1 and ph2, respectively. The knowledge retention showed significant differences (p<.001) in median scores, 9(6) and 15(7) between ph1 and ph3, respectively. Conclusion: Educational pamphlet significantly increased knowledge and KAP scores about HPV in the study population, regardless of socio-demographic characteristics among the study population. Effective, informative and appropriate educational protocols designed for the target population using 'Spaced Repetition-Based Educational Intervention' are particularly important for better and sustained outcomes.