Clinical trial · Observational
The Role of Cyberchondria Severity in the Relationship Between HPV Awareness and Vaccination Attitudes in Adult Women
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
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.
Conditions
Conditions (5)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Awareness | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Cyberchondria | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| HPV Vaccines | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Human Papillomavirus Infection | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (0)
Data not yet available
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (0)
[]Primary outcomes (3)
- measure
- Introduction Information Forum
- timeFrame
- Upon presentation to the clinic
- description
- 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
- measure
- Human Papilloma Virus Awareness and Concern Scale for Women (Women HPV-ACS)
- timeFrame
- Upon presentation to the clinic
- description
- 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)
- measure
- Cyberchondria Severity Scale Short Form (CSS-SF)
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- Female
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
- Maximum age
- 49 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
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)
References
Publications (16)
- BACKGROUNDAgrawal V, Khulbe Y, Singh A, Kar SK. The digital health dilemma: Exploring cyberchondria, well-being, and smartphone addiction in medical and non-medical undergraduates. Indian J Psychiatry. 2024 Mar;66(3):256-262. doi: 10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_570_23. Epub 2024 Mar 18. PMID 39100122
- BACKGROUNDBarke A, Bleichhardt G, Rief W, Doering BK. The Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS): German Validation and Development of a Short Form. Int J Behav Med. 2016 Oct;23(5):595-605. doi: 10.1007/s12529-016-9549-8. PMID 26931780
- BACKGROUNDBaumgartner SE, Hartmann T. The role of health anxiety in online health information search. Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2011 Oct;14(10):613-8. doi: 10.1089/cyber.2010.0425. Epub 2011 May 6. PMID 21548797
- BACKGROUNDDany M, Chidiac A, Nassar AH. Human papillomavirus vaccination: assessing knowledge, attitudes, and intentions of college female students in Lebanon, a developing country. Vaccine. 2015 Feb 18;33(8):1001-7. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.01.009. Epub 2015 Jan 15. PMID 25597945
- BACKGROUNDEskisu M, Cam Z, Boysan M. Health-Related Cognitions and Metacognitions Indirectly Contribute to the Relationships Between Impulsivity, Fear of COVID-19, and Cyberchondria. J Ration Emot Cogn Behav Ther. 2023 Jan 9:1-23. doi: 10.1007/s10942-022-00495-7. Online ahead of print. PMID 36687465
- BACKGROUNDGuvenc G, Seven M, Akyuz A. Health Belief Model Scale for Human Papilloma Virus and its Vaccination: Adaptation and Psychometric Testing. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 2016 Jun;29(3):252-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jpag.2015.09.007. Epub 2015 Sep 26. PMID 26409648
- BACKGROUNDHendry M, Pasterfield D, Lewis R, Clements A, Damery S, Neal RD, Adke R, Weller D, Campbell C, Patnick J, Sasieni P, Hurt C, Wilson S, Wilkinson C. Are women ready for the new cervical screening protocol in England? A systematic review and qualitative synthesis of views about human papillomavirus testing. Br J Cancer. 2012 Jul 10;107(2):243-54. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2012.256. Epub 2012 Jun 14.