Title |
Assessing the Effectiveness of a Community-Based Sensitization Strategy in Creating Awareness About HPV, Cervical Cancer and HPV Vaccine Among Parents in North West Cameroon
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Published in |
Journal of Community Health, February 2012
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DOI | 10.1007/s10900-012-9540-5 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Richard G. Wamai, Claudine Akono Ayissi, Geofrey O. Oduwo, Stacey Perlman, Edith Welty, Simon Manga, Javier Gordon Ogembo |
Abstract |
In 2010, the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS) received a donation of HPV vaccine (Gardasil®) to immunize girls of ages 9-13 years in the North West Region of Cameroon. We evaluated the effectiveness of the CBCHS campaign program in sensitizing parents/guardians to encourage HPV vaccine uptake, identified factors that influence parents' decisions to vaccinate girls, and examined the uptake of cervical cancer screening among mothers. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in four healthcare facilities run by CBCHS, churches and other social settings. A total of 350 questionnaires were distributed and 317 were used for the analysis. There were high levels of awareness about cervical cancer, HPV and HPV vaccine. 75.5% understood HPV is sexually transmitted and 90.3% were aware of the use of vaccine as a preventive measure. Effectiveness of the vaccine (31.8%) and side effects/safety (18.4%) were the major barriers for parents to vaccinate their daughters. Bivariate analysis further revealed that the level of education (p = 0.0006), income level (p = 0.0044) and perceived risks (p = 0.0044) are additional factors influencing parents' decisions to vaccinate girls. 35.3% of women had sought a cervical cancer screening, significantly higher than the general estimated rate of screening (<10%) in other parts of Cameroon and sub-Saharan Africa. These results support the viability of a community-tailored sensitization strategy to increase awareness among the targeted audience of parents/guardians, who are critical decision-makers for vaccine delivery to children. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 2 | <1% |
Malaysia | 1 | <1% |
Tanzania, United Republic of | 1 | <1% |
Denmark | 1 | <1% |
United Kingdom | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 228 | 97% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Master | 59 | 25% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 33 | 14% |
Researcher | 24 | 10% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 20 | 9% |
Student > Bachelor | 16 | 7% |
Other | 35 | 15% |
Unknown | 47 | 20% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 55 | 24% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 47 | 20% |
Social Sciences | 26 | 11% |
Psychology | 11 | 5% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 10 | 4% |
Other | 30 | 13% |
Unknown | 55 | 24% |