Evidence of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Regarding Human Papilloma Virus Vaccination at the Community Level in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Effective vaccines for the prevention of cervical cancers are available in India. The existing knowledge and attitude regarding the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine varies widely among available studies. Our study aimed to estimate pooled prevalence related to knowledge, attitude, and practice of HPV vaccination in India.

METHODOLOGY: We conducted systematic searches in PUBMED, EMBASE, CINHAL, PROQUEST, and Cochrane Library databases using database-specific search strategies. The random effects model was used for estimating the pooled proportion of knowledge, attitude, and practice. The outlier studies were identified using the Baujat test. Egger's regression test and funnel plots were used to identify publication bias.

RESULTS: Database-specific search strategies yielded 2,377 records from five databases. We identified 48 studies for full-text retrieval after screening titles and abstracts. Finally, 27 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of knowledge regarding HPV vaccines in India was 0.22 (CI;0.14-0.31, I2 =99.5%). The pooled prevalence of positive attitudes towards the uptake of HPV vaccines in India was 0.45 (CI;0.33-0.57, I2 =100%). The pooled prevalence of coverage of HPV vaccines in India was 0.04 (CI;0.02-0.07, I2 =96%). Significant publication bias was present for the studies' reported knowledge and coverage.

CONCLUSION: The knowledge, attitude, and coverage of the HPV vaccine were low in India. It suggests effective strategies to improve knowledge and attitudes towards HPV vaccination in India.