Determinants of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine recommendation among Middle Eastern and Lebanese Healthcare Providers

Abstract

ObjectiveTo improve the knowledge, awareness, and attitude (KAA) among health care providers (HCPs) regarding Human Papilloma Virus vaccination (HPV-V), the Lebanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (LSOG) has regularly organized educational meetings, symposia, and workshops. MethodsWe conducted two sets of surveys among attendees of the LSOG congresses in 2009 and 2018 to assess their KAA towards HPV-V. ResultsAround 30% (362) of LSOG attendees participated in our surveys in 2009 and 2018 (185 Vs.177 respectively). Most of them were obstetricians and gynecologists. Most HCPs considered that HPV-V can prevent cervical cancer (CC) [82% and 80% respectively, P = 0.73], however, around 60% were confident enough to convince their patients. HCPs who were confident about the efficacy of the HPV-Vs were more likely to believe that HPV-V can prevent CC (odds ratio = 22.5, p-value = 0.003). These HCPS were more likely to recommend HPV-V (OR = 6.6, p-value = 0.009). About 20% of HCPs who usually recommend HPV-V, reported cost as a main barrier compared to 76% of those who did not. ConclusionsBeing familiar with HPV, HPV-related diseases, CC, HPV vaccines and their effectiveness significantly influence whether a HCP recommends HPV-V. The KAA of HCPs did not significantly improve from 2009 to 2018.