INTRODUCTION Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the major causes of head and neck cancer (HNC). The incidence rate of newly diagnosed HPV-induced HNC cancer is on the rise, year-by-year; this is a problem of public health concern. This study aims to determine the prevalence and predictors of knowledge of senior secondary (high) school students in Nigeria on HPV and HPV vaccines. METHODS This study was a cross-sectional survey of 2530 high school students from six states in Nigeria using a selfadministered structured questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed using the SPSS version 25 software. RESULTS The mean (±SD) age of the respondents was 16.4 (±2.0) years, 56.0% were male and 34.9% were from the Yoruba ethnic group. Only 23.0% and 18.3% of the respondents were aware of HPV and HPV vaccine, respectively. The majority (78.2%) of those who were aware of HPV had below-average knowledge score about HPV. Those respondents: in the highest class in high school (AOR=1.36; CI=1.00-1.84; p=0.048); attending girls-only schools (AOR=2.86; CI: 1.93-4.24; p<0.001); and schooling in Bauchi state (AOR=2.56; CI: 1.47-4.51; p=0.001) were most likely to be aware of HPV compared to those in the other categories. However, those: attending girls-only (AOR=2.80; CI: 1.84-4.27; p<0.001); schooling in Bauchi state (AOR=2.87; CI: 1.55-5.33; p=0.001); and belonging to the Hausa tribe (AOR=2.41; CI: 1.51-3.85; p<0.001) were most likely to be aware to HPV vaccine than those in other categories. CONCLUSIONS The level of knowledge of HPV and HPV vaccine among high school students in Nigeria is very poor. There is a need for health education programs on HPV and HPV vaccines in Nigerian secondary schools.

Introduction: Head and neck cancer (HNC), oral cancer inclusive (OC), is one of the major causes of cancer-related deaths globally, especially in Nigeria – a developing African country. Public literacy about HNC plays a very crucial role in HNC prevention. Aim: This study aimed to systematically review existing literature on literacy of HNC in Nigeria. Methods: We searched the PubMed, Google Scholar and AJOL databases for all relevant English articles published on HNC literacy in Nigeria from January 2000 till October 2020. Only relevant articles were included for the study. Quality assessment of the full text of the included articles was done using the Appraisal Tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS); also, relevant data were extracted from these articles and analyzed thematically. Results: A total of 21 articles (19 surveys and 2 interventional studies), which studied a total population of 7,883 people, were included in the study. All the included articles were rated “excellent” (70 – 100%), regarding quality. The awareness rates of HNC/OC, as documented in the included studies, ranged from 0% to 100%; however, the rate recorded in the majority of these studies was <50%. In-depth knowledge of HNC/OC was found to be generally poor among the surveyed population groups; however, education intervention was found to improve in-depth knowledge of HNC and attitudes toward peer and nonpeer education about HNC among Nigerians. Conclusion: The level of knowledge regarding HNC, in Nigeria, is low. The use of relevant health education programs to boost knowledge about HNC among the Nigerian public is highly recommended.

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A call for the inclusion of a course on basic oral healthcare practice into the Nigerian nursing and midwifery education curriculum article info

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