Validation of a measure of knowledge about human papillomavirus (HPV) using item response theory and classical test theory

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

Public understanding of HPV is important to ensure informed participation in cervical cancer prevention programmes. While many studies have measured HPV knowledge, none has developed a validated measure for use across countries. We aimed to develop and validate such a measure. Items tapping knowledge of HPV, HPV testing and HPV vaccination were developed from previous literature and with expert consultation. The 29-item measure was administered via the internet to 2409 adults in the UK, US and Australia in 2011. Classical test theory and item response theory were used to establish the measure's psychometric properties. Total scale reliability was very good (α = 0.838), as was internal consistency for a 16-item general HPV knowledge subset (α = 0.849). Subsets of HPV testing and vaccination items showed reasonable test-retest reliability (r(test-retest) = 0.62 and 0.69) but moderate internal consistency (α = 0.52 and 0.56). Dimensionality analyses suggested that one item was not measuring the same construct as the remainder of the questionnaire. A 2-parameter logistic item response theory (IRT) model was fitted to the remaining 28 scale items. A structurally coherent set of items covering a range of important HPV knowledge was developed. Responses indicated a reliable questionnaire, which allowed the fitting of an IRT model. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Related collections

Most cited references 17

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Social and psychological impact of HPV testing in cervical screening: a qualitative study

K McCaffery, J Waller, J Nazroo … (2006)

Objective Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing has been proposed for inclusion in the UK cervical screening programme. While testing may bring some benefits to the screening programme, testing positive for HPV, a sexually transmitted virus, may have adverse social and psychological consequences for women. The aim of this study was to examine the social and psychological impact of HPV testing in the context of cervical cancer screening. Method In‐depth interviews generating qualitative data were carried out with 74 women participating in HPV testing in England between June 2001 and December 2003. Purposive sampling was used to ensure heterogeneity in age, ethnic group, marital status, socioeconomic background, cytology, and HPV results among participants. Results Testing positive for HPV was associated with adverse social and psychological consequences, relating primarily to the sexually transmitted nature of the virus and its link to cervical cancer. Women described feeling stigmatised, anxious and stressed, concerned about their sexual relationships, and were worried about disclosing their result to others. Anxiety about the infection was widespread, but the impact of testing positive varied. The psychological burden of the infection related to women's relationship status and history, their social and cultural norms and practices around sex and relationships, and their understanding of key features of HPV. Conclusion HPV testing should be accompanied by extensive health education to inform women and to de‐stigmatise infection with the virus to ensure that any adverse impact of the infection on women's wellbeing is minimised.

0 comments Cited 79 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Promoting informed choice: transforming health care to dispense knowledge for decision making.

Joshua Kaplan, R. Harris, Stacey L Sheridan … (2005)

Ours is an era in which patients seek greater engagement in health care choices, increasing the demand for high-quality information about clinical options. Providing support for informed choice is not straightforward, however, because of challenges faced by clinicians, health systems, and consumers. Greater use of written or electronic tools can help to clarify choices for patients, but decision aids cannot replace the human element in facilitating informed choice. The ideal solution is to couple information with high-quality decision counseling to help patients understand the potential risks, benefits, and uncertainties of clinical options and to assist them in selecting the option that best accommodates their personal preferences. Decision counseling can be offered by 3 types of providers: clinicians who lack formal informed-choice training ("usual care"), clinicians with formal informed-choice training, or trained third parties who function as impartial decision counselors. Controlled studies are needed to determine which model is best, but none appears to be ideal. The health care system cannot truly support informed decision making without correcting the underlying obstacles that impede patient access to needed information. New information technology solutions, training programs, and reimbursement schemes are necessary. Patient demand for guidance will only increase as clinical options multiply and the world of information continues its rapid growth. Today's health care system is unprepared for the convergence of these 2 burgeoning domains, and the need to address systemic deficiencies will grow more urgent over time.

0 comments Cited 68 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

The viral etiology of cervical cancer.

F.Xavier Bosch, Nubia Muñoz (2002)

Epidemiological studies supported by molecular technology have provided sufficient evidence on the causal role of some Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infections in the development of cervical cancer. This association has been evaluated under all proposed sets of causality criteria and endorsed by the scientific community and major review institutes. HPV has been proposed as the first-ever identified, necessary cause of a human cancer. In practical terms, the concept of a necessary cause implies that cervical cancer does not and will not develop in the absence of the persistent presence of HPV-deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). This important advancement has two practical implications in prevention. Firstly, screening programs can be enhanced if HPV testing is judiciously incorporated into solving the fraction of ambiguous cytology readings. In some populations HPV screening as a primary test may prove to be the strategy of choice. Secondly, like in the hepatitis B disease model, intense efforts are currently being put into the development and testing of vaccines that may prevent the relevant HPV infections, and presumably, cervical cancer. At this stage of development, regulatory agencies are requested to evaluate the scientific evidence and weigh its implications in relation to costs, public health investments and policy. This is a subjective evaluation that could be guided by a careful description of the most relevant studies and findings.