Knowledge, attitudes, and prevention practices regarding human papillomavirus among health and social science female students in Northwest Ethiopia: A comparative cross-sectional study

Background University students are vital for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) prevention, yet comparative data between academic disciplines remain limited. This study compared HPV knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among female health and Social Science students at Debre Tabor University. Objective To compare HPV knowledge, attitudes, and prevention practices (KAP) among female Health and Social Science students and identify sociodemographic predictors of these outcomes. Methods Design: Institutional-Based, comparative cross-sectional study. Setting : Debre Tabor University, Northwest Ethiopia, conducted from June to July 2025. Main outcome measures HPV knowledge (good vs. poor), attitudes (good vs. poor), and vaccination practices (good vs. poor). Multivariable logistic regression identified independent predictors of poor outcomes. Results Health science students (HSS) reported higher awareness (83.6% vs. 56.7%) and more positive attitudes (57.3% vs. 37.6%) than Social Science students (SSS). However, both groups exhibited poor knowledge: 61.2% of HSS and 80.9% of SSS scored <50% on knowledge questions, and critically low vaccination rates (HSS: 18.2%; SSS: 15.2%). For HSS, lack of prior awareness was the strongest predictor of poor practice (AOR = 7.61, 95% CI = 1.65–35.12). For SSS, second-year students had 3.39 times higher odds of poor practice compared to seniors (AOR = 3.39; 95% CI: 1.04–10.99). SSS predominantly relied on social media (45.0%), while HSS used academic sources (67.5%). Conclusion A profound knowledge-practice gap exists regardless of the field of study. High reliance on social media among SSS and low practice among mid-level students suggest that university-based interventions could potentially contribute to national efforts, though achieving population-level targets requires multi-sectoral strategies..