The Role of Cyberchondria Severity in the Relationship Between HPV Awareness and Vaccination Attitudes in Adult Women

January 29, 2025 updated by: Merve Coskun, Acibadem University

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a prevalent sexually transmitted infection linked to nearly all cases (99%) of cervical cancer. Prophylactic HPV vaccination is effective in preventing these cancers, complemented by HPV screening and treatment of precancerous lesions. The World Health Organization (WHO) aims to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030 through focused efforts on vaccination, diagnosis, and treatment.

Primary prevention strategies include reducing sexual risk factors and administering prophylactic vaccines. Despite awareness of HPV testing, many women lack understanding of its importance and fail to follow through with screenings and necessary treatments. Overall societal awareness of HPV remains inadequate.

Studies reveal disparities in HPV vaccine awareness: while 60.7% of women have heard of the vaccine, only 1% have received it. Awareness varies widely across regions, with Turkey reporting rates from 3.8% to 57%, and vaccine awareness ranging from 2.2% to 74.7% (Özdemir et al., 2020). In the UK, concerns over potential negative results lead many women to defer HPV testing.

Health anxiety, defined as interpreting minor symptoms as serious health issues, drives individuals to seek excessive online health information, a phenomenon known as cyberchondria. Studies link cyberchondria with heightened health anxiety, exacerbated by prolonged internet searches.

Barriers to HPV screening and vaccination include fear of side effects, lack of information, cost concerns, and anxiety over potential outcomes. While women testing positive for HPV show higher levels of cyberchondria, no direct correlation has been established between cyberchondria severity and HPV awareness or vaccination attitudes in adult women.

This summary encapsulates the key findings and insights from the referenced studies on HPV, vaccination, and health anxiety.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

337

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey
    • İstanbul
      • Ataşehir, İstanbul, Turkey
        • Güzin Ünlü Suvari

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

N/A

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

The study includes women aged 18-49 years, who have completed at least elementary school education. The study aims to explore awareness and concern levels regarding HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) among women within the specified age range and educational background.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Women aged 18-49 years old
  • At least elementary school education

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals diagnosed with psychiatric disorders
  • Women who are HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) positive
  • Any condition that would hinder communication (e.g., language barrier)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Introduction Information Forum
Time Frame: Upon presentation to the clinic
This form, prepared by researchers in accordance with the literature, includes general questions about women's sociodemographic characteristics, reproductive health, and health-seeking behaviors. The form consists of a total of 32 questions
Upon presentation to the clinic
Human Papilloma Virus Awareness and Concern Scale for Women (Women HPV-ACS)
Time Frame: Upon presentation to the clinic
Developed by Esencan et al. (2023), this scale aims to measure awareness and concern levels related to Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). The scale comprises 19 items organized into three subscales. Scores range from 0 to 76, with higher scores indicating greater awareness of HPV. The subscales include: Concerns about health (items 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14), Concerns about social exclusion (items 15, 16, 17, 18, 19), and Awareness (items 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). Responses are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (Definitely disagree) to 4 (Definitely agree). The Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient for the scale is 0.905 (Esencan et al., 2023)
Upon presentation to the clinic
Cyberchondria Severity Scale Short Form (CSS-SF)
Time Frame: Upon presentation to the clinic

Developed by McElroy and Shevlin in 2019 and validated by Yam et al. (2023), the CSS-SF consists of 12 items assessing the severity of online symptom searching behaviors related to health concerns. The scale includes four subscales: Excessiveness, Distress, Reassurance-seeking, and Compulsion. Responses are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always). Total scores range from 5 to 60, with higher scores indicating greater severity of cyberchondria. The total Cronbach's Alpha coefficient for the scale is 0.89, with subscale Cronbach's Alpha values ranging as follows: 0.83, 0.79, 0.70, 0.80 (Yam et al., 2023).

These descriptions outline the key measures used in the study to assess awareness and concern levels regarding HPV and severity of cyberchondria among women.
Upon presentation to the clinic

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Acibadem University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Merve Coşkun, phd, Acibadem University
  • Principal Investigator: İrem Nur Özdemir, phd, Bakirköy Dr.Sadi Konuk Trainng and Research Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

June 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

December 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 17, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 29, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

March 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 25, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 29, 2025

Last Verified

January 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2024-7-268

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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