Objective:
To investigate HPV vaccine hesitation and associated factors among female college students in Weifang, and to provide a suggestions for improving the coverage rate of HPV vaccine among female college students.
Methods:
The questionnaire of HPV vaccine hesitancy of female college students was designed. By adopting the stratified sampling method, the survey was conducted among female students at one medical university and three nonmedical universities in Weifang. Chi-square test and Logistic regression were used to analyze the influencing factors of vaccine hesitation.
Results:
Female college students who had high risk perception toward vaccine (OR=4.15, 95%CI=1.55-11.10) and those who were angry about the sideeffects of the vaccine (OR=3.63, 95%CI=1.95-6.75) were hesitate to vaccinate against HPV. Female college students who believed long protection period of HPV vaccine (OR=0.08, 95%CI=0.04-0.17), that women had a high probability of cervical cancer (OR=0.44, 95%CI=0.21-0.90) and that the knowledge of HPV vaccine scored >6 (OR=0.31, 95%CI=0.15-0.67) were more likely to receive HPV vaccine.
Conclusion
High risk perception of vaccines and anger at vaccine adverse reactions are important factors affecting HPV vaccines for female college students. Our findings call for strategic role of the state, school-based health education as well as medical professional guidance in lowering HPV vaccination hesitation among fenale college sutdents.