Abstract PO-269: Awareness of the link between human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV-associated cancers among university students

Abstract

Abstract Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is associated with virtually all cases of cervical, 90% of anal, 69% of vaginal, 60% of oropharyngeal, 51% of vulvar, and 40% of penile cancers. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends routine HPV vaccination for adolescents between 11 and 12 years, and catch-up vaccination is also recommended for both males and females aged 13-26 years. College students not only fall in the age group at high risk for HPV infection but are also of childbearing age; thus, their awareness not only affects current vaccination rates but also those of the next generation. Therefore, understanding college students' awareness of the causal link between HPV and HPV-associated cancers is of great significance for the promotion of HPV vaccine uptake. The objectives of the study were to 1) describe the level of awareness of the link between HPV and HPV-associated cancers; and 2) identify factors associated with awareness. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study at a public Midwestern university. A previously validated questionnaire was distributed online to all students at the university from February to May 2021. The outcomes of interest were student's awareness that HPV causes certain cancers (anal, vaginal, oropharyngeal, vulvar, and penile). Students were asked if they knew whether HPV was causally link with those cancers, with response options ‘yes', ‘no' and ‘don't know'. Students who answered yes were categorized as aware and those who answered ‘no' and ‘don't know' were categorized as unaware. Five multivariable logistic regression models estimated the association between age, gender, race, relationship status, academic level, rural-urban status, sexual naivety; and awareness of the link between HPV and HPV-associated cancers. Results: A total of 862 students were included in the study. Approximately 34% were aware HPV causes anal, 39% were aware HPV cause oral, 38% were aware HPV cause penile, 53% were aware HPV cause vaginal, and 40% were aware HPV cause vulvar cancers. In multivariable analyses, males were less likely to be aware that HPV cause vaginal (aOR=0.42, 95% CI: 0.30–0.59), or vulvar cancers (aOR=0.54, 95% CI: 0.38–0.77) compared to females. Compared with sexually naïve students, those who had have oral and vaginal sex were more likely to be aware that HPV cause anal (aOR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.17–3.34), penile (aOR=1.82, 95% CI: 1.11–2.97), vaginal (aOR=1.81, 95% CI: 1.14–2.88), or vulvar (aOR=2.05, 95% CI: 1.24–3.40) cancers. Conclusion: Overall awareness of the link between HPV and HPV-associated cancers were low, with roughly 4-in-10 students having awareness, except vaginal where half of students had awareness of the link. This underscores the need for more tailored interventions to increase knowledge about HPV and its association with cancer. Increasing students' levels of awareness may impact HPV vaccine uptake. Citation Format: Eric Adjei Boakye, Maria C. Franca, Valerie E. Boyer, Minjee Lee, Kelli D. Whittington, Stacey L. McKinney, Sandra K. Collins, Richard C. McKinnies. Awareness of the link between human papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV-associated cancers among university students [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-269.