Factors associated with human papillomavirus infection – findings from a cervical cancer screening program for female employees in Beijing

BACKGROUND: In 2018, the Beijing Federation of Trade Unions organized a cervical cancer screening program for female employees for the first time. This study aimed to investigate the screening results of this program and determine the factors associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. METHODS: A total of 8297 female employees participating in the screening program between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2018, were enrolled in this study. The methods for screening cervical cancer included ThinPrep cytology test (TCT) and HPV genotyping test. Single-factor analysis and multiple binary logistic regression analysis were used to identify the factors associated with HPV infection. RESULTS: Of the 8297 women (median age: 43.00 years), TCT was found to be abnormal in 116 patients (1.40%) and 1169 (14.09%) were positive for HPV genotyping test. Notably, HPV-52 was the most prevalent subtype (3.05%), followed by HPV-16 (2.82%), HPV-58 (2.01%), HPV-51 (1.58%) and HPV-56 (1.49%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that taxi drivers (OR =1.98; 95% CI =1.31–2.99) and single women with a history of sexual activity (OR =2.32; 95% CI =1.41–3.82) were significantly associated with an increased risk of HPV infection (P<0.05), whereas medical workers (OR =0.67; 95% CI =0.51–0.88) and factory workers (OR =0.36; 95% CI =0.17–0.77) were protective factors for HPV infection (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: HPV-52, HPV-16 and HPV-58 are the most common types of high-risk HPV among female employees in Beijing. Being taxi drivers and single women with a history of sexual activity are significantly associated with the risk of HPV infection.