Prevalence and Factors Associated with Human Papillomavirus Infection among Women in Tha Sala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province

Abstract

Cervical cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among Thai women and high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is associated with the development of cervical cancer. In this medical epidemiology study conducted by the Medical Technology and Clinical Pathology Department at ThasalaHospital, cervical cancer screening services were provided using the HPV DNA test. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with HPV infection in women in the Tha Sala District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. This study employed a retrospective descriptive design, with data collected from May 2021 to May 2023. The study included a total of 3,284 participants with an average age of 46.4 ± 8.0 years. The age group most frequently screened was 41-50 years, constituting 39.1% of the sample. The results of the HPV DNA test revealed an overall infection rate of 9.5%. When classified by HPV type, the non-16, 18 strains exhibited the highest prevalence at 8.3%, followed by HPV 16 and HPV 18 at 0.9% and 0.3%, respectively. The area with the highest number of HPV infections was Ban Hua Khu Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital, accounting for 15.7%, followed by Ban Khu Mai Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital, accounting for 12.3%. A study of the relationship between HPV infection and biological characteristics of the participants found that age has a statistically significant relationship with HPV infection (p < 0.05). The findings of this study can guide sample selection in the target area to maximize the probability of detecting cervical cancer abnormalities. Thus, it may be useful for regional public health organizations to evaluate effective cervical cancer screening programs.