PLoS ONE (Jan 2014)

Disparities of perceptions and practices related to cervical cancer prevention and the acceptability of HPV vaccination according to educational level in a French cross-sectional survey of 18-65 years old women.

  • Julie Haesebaert,
  • Delphine Lutringer-Magnin,
  • Julie Kalecinski,
  • Giovanna Barone,
  • Anne-Carole Jacquard,
  • Yann Leocmach,
  • Véronique Régnier,
  • Philippe Vanhems,
  • Franck Chauvin,
  • Christine Lasset

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0109320
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 10
p. e109320

Abstract

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INTRODUCTION: We aimed to study the relationships between educational level, women's knowledge about cervical cancer (CC), and acceptance of HPV vaccination for their daughters. METHODS: We analysed data from a quantitative (self-administrated questionnaire) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews) cross-sectional study performed in 2008 among 1,229 French 18-65-year-old women recruited by general practitioners. Women were categorized into three educational level groups: low (LEL: 43.9%), medium (MEL: 33.4%) and high (HEL: 22.6%). RESULTS: Knowledge about CC and its prevention was lower among LEL women. In the 180 mothers of 14-18-year-old daughters (99 LEL, 54 MEL, 45 HEL), acceptance of HPV vaccine was higher in LEL (60.4%) and MEL (68.6%) than in HEL mothers (46.8%). Among LEL mothers, those who were favourable to HPV vaccination were more likely to be young (OR = 8.44 [2.10-34.00]), to be vaccinated against hepatitis B (OR = 4.59 [1.14-18.52]), to have vaccinated their children against pneumococcus (OR = 3.52 [0.99-12.48]) and to present a history of abnormal Pap smear (OR = 6.71 [0.70-64.01]). CONCLUSION: Although LEL women had poorer knowledge about CC and its prevention, they were more likely to accept HPV vaccination than HEL mothers.