Knowledge and attitudes of dental clinic attendees on oral HPV infection in Ibadan, Nigeria

Understanding people’s knowledge and attitudes about oral Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is crucial for effective public health interventions to prevent oral cancer. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of dental clinic attendees on oral HPV in Ibadan, Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 414 dental clinic attendees aged ≥ 18 years in Ibadan, Nigeria, from January to February 2025. Data were collected on socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes towards oral HPV. Composite knowledge and attitude scores were computed, and participants were classified as having low, moderate, or good knowledge based on knowledge score percentiles, and as having good or poor attitudes based on the median attitude score. Associations between participant characteristics and their knowledge of, and attitudes towards, oral HPV were examined using the chi-square test. Factors associated with knowledge of oral HPV were investigated using ordinal logistic regression, while factors associated with participants’ attitudes towards oral HPV were examined using Poisson regression with robust variance. All analyses were performed at a significance level of p < 0.05. Of 412 participants that completed the study, 49.6% were male. Overall, 226 (55.3%) were aware of oral HPV; of whom 37 (16.4%) had good, 122 (54%) had moderate, and 67 (29.7%) had low knowledge of oral HPV. More males (64.9%) than females (35.1%) had good knowledge of oral HPV (p = 0.064). Equal proportions of participants (50%) had good and poor attitudes toward oral HPV. Participants with a tertiary education had lower odds of having good knowledge of oral HPV [aOR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.11–0.77] compared with those with a lower educational level. Religion (p = 0.025) and place of residence (p = 0.011) were significantly associated with good attitudes towards oral HPV. Generally, knowledge of oral HPV was low among dental clinic attendees, but attitude toward oral HPV infection was relatively good. The study highlights importance of targeted public health education to improve awareness and understanding of oral HPV infection.