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Awareness and Knowledge about Human Papillomavirus Among Inuit Women in Nunavik, Quebec

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Abstract

Accurate knowledge about human Papillomavirus (HPV) and its link to cervical cancer is essential for women to understand and make use of cervical cancer prevention and detection opportunities. This study was the first to survey awareness and knowledge of HPV in a population of Canadian Inuit. The objectives of this study were to assess the level of awareness and knowledge of Inuit women in Nunavik, Quebec, Canada, about HPV infection and its relation to cervical cancer and to study correlates of this awareness. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Women were recruited through convenience sampling at two recruitment sites in Ungava Bay from March 2008 to June 2009. Questionnaires were completed by 175 women aged 18–63. Thirty one percentage reported that they had heard of HPV. Of the women who had heard of HPV, 53% knew that HPV causes cervical cancer. The level of HPV awareness was not found to vary with participants’ age. Awareness of HPV was found to be associated with greater or equal to 13 years of education (OR = 4.4, 95%: 1.3–15.1) and knowing someone with cervical cancer (OR = 3.6, 95%: 1.4–8.9). Despite the high prevalence of HPV and incidence of cervical cancer in Inuit populations, there is a low level of knowledge in this population. The lack of awareness and knowledge and misconceptions found in this study has been consistently found in other non-Indigenous populations.

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Acknowledgments

We could like to gratefully acknowledge the Tulattavik Health Centre, collaborating nurse practitioners, communities, the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, and especially Johanne Blouin and Anne-Marie Lowe for making this research possible. This project was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and a Team Grant on HPV Infection and Associated Diseases from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). H. Cerigo was supported by CIHR. E. L. Franco was supported by a Distinguished Scientist career award from CIHR. P. Brassard was supported by a clinician scientist career award from the Fonds de Recherche en Santé du Quebec (FRSQ).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Helen Cerigo, Eduardo L. Franco & Paul Brassard

  2. Division of Oral Health and Society, Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Mary Ellen Macdonald

  3. Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Eduardo L. Franco

  4. Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Paul Brassard

Authors
  1. Helen Cerigo
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  2. Mary Ellen Macdonald
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  3. Eduardo L. Franco
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  4. Paul Brassard
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Correspondence to Paul Brassard.

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Cerigo, H., Macdonald, M.E., Franco, E.L. et al. Awareness and Knowledge about Human Papillomavirus Among Inuit Women in Nunavik, Quebec. J Community Health 36, 56–62 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-010-9278-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-010-9278-x

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