Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection associated with most cervical cancers. Despite the effectiveness of HPV vaccines, awareness and knowledge about HPV and its vaccine remain low among women. In today's digital world, obtaining information about HPV is also shifting. Cyberchondria, characterized by excessive online health-related information-seeking behavior, can affect health behaviors. This study explored the relationships between HPV awareness, vaccination status, and cyberchondria.
Methods: This descriptive and correlational study was conducted from June to December 2024 at a single educational and research hospital in Istanbul with women aged 18-49. The sample size was calculated using G*Power, which indicated a need for 328 participants; ultimately, 337 were included. Data were collected through the Descriptive Information Form, the HPV Awareness and Concern Level Scale (HPV-ACS), and the Short-Form of the Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS-12). Analyses were performed using SPSS 27.0 and included independent t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression.
Results: The mean participant age was 33.4 years; 55.2% had a university education, 57.9% were unemployed, and 27.6% were married. Higher HPV awareness was observed among individuals with higher income, those vaccinated against HPV, and those who underwent co-testing. Participants who spent more than four hours a day online and frequently followed health-related publications reported greater HPV awareness. Cyberchondria severity was higher in individuals who occasionally followed health publications. Confusion during online health searches was experienced by 43% of participants. Among those avoiding hospital visits, 88.7% cited work obligations as the reason. Those who visited the hospital reported lower levels of cyberchondria severity. HPV awareness was negatively correlated with the need for reassurance in health-related matters but positively correlated with compulsive information-seeking behaviors.
Conclusions: HPV awareness was associated with income level, regular gynecological check-ups, vaccination, and co-testing. Frequent online health engagement not only increased awareness but also contributed to cyberchondria, especially compulsive behavior. While greater HPV knowledge decreased health-related anxiety, it also led to excessive online searching, potentially disrupting daily life. Enhancing reliable online health education may improve HPV awareness while reducing the negative impacts of cyberchondria.
Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06800456. Registered on January 29, 2024.
Keywords: Awareness; Cyberchondria; HPV vaccines; Human papillomavirus.
© 2025. The Author(s).