Peer-reviewed article
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Parents of Children Aged 9-15 Years for Human Papillomavirus Vaccine and Vaccination in Guangdong Province, China.
Yijing Wang, Nuomin Sun, Binglin Chen, Mengfei Liu, Ruming Bu et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study surveyed 4,976 parents of girls aged 9-15 in Guangdong Province, China to understand their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. While most parents had good knowledge (71.41%) and positive attitudes (40.69%) toward the vaccine, only 56.79% reported taking favorable action to vaccinate their daughters. The research found that mothers, older parents, and those with higher education were more likely to have good knowledge and positive attitudes, but this did not always translate into actual vaccination.
Key points
- Overall correct response rates: 80.91% for knowledge, 79.05% for attitude, and 66.26% for practice questions
- 71.41% of parents demonstrated 'good' knowledge about HPV vaccine
- Only 56.79% of parents reported 'favorable' practice regarding vaccination
- Mothers, parents aged 35 or older, and those with university-level education or above showed better knowledge and attitudes but sometimes exhibited unfavorable practice
- Parents employed in public institutions and married parents tended to have better overall knowledge, attitude, and practice
Limitations
As a cross-sectional survey, this study captures only a snapshot in time and cannot determine causation or track changes over time. The study relies on self-reported data from parents, which may be subject to social desirability bias, and the online survey format may not represent all socioeconomic groups equally.
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVE: In China, HPV vaccination coverage among young girls is relatively low, with parental knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) significantly influencing their daughters' vaccination decisions. To enhance vaccination rates, Guangdong Province has implemented a free vaccination policy for the bivalent HPV vaccine for eligible girls. This study aimed to assess the KAP levels of parents in Guangdong with daughters aged 9-15 regarding HPV vaccine and HPV vaccination and identify associated factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from April 21 to 29, 2022, recruiting 4976 parents in Guangdong Province. Socio-demographic characteristics and KAP levels were analyzed using frequencies and percentages. The Chi-square test compared KAP differences across various socio-demographic groups, while multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with KAP. RESULTS: The sample included 1837 fathers (36.98%) and 3130 mothers (63.02%). The overall correct response rate of knowledge, attitude and practice questions was 80.91%, 79.05% and 66.26% respectively. 71.41% of parents demonstrated "good" knowledge, 40.69% exhibited "positive" attitude toward vaccination, and 56.79% reported "favorable" practice. Mothers, those aged 35 or older, and individuals with university/college -level education or above were more likely to show "good" knowledge and "positive" attitude, though they also exhibited "unfavorable" practice. Additionally, parents employed in public institutions and being married tended to have better KAP. CONCLUSION: While parents in Guangdong display high knowledge and positive attitude towards HPV vaccine and HPV vaccination, inconsistencies exist between their knowledge, attitude, and practice. Future interventions should focus on well-designed educational campaigns with clear messaging and timely, transparent communication through trusted sources, in order to promote favorable practice alongside improving parental knowledge and attitude.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Assessment of parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding HPV vaccination in Guangdong Province; identification of factors associated with vaccination decisions to inform future educational interventions
- Population
- 4,976 parents (1,837 fathers and 3,130 mothers) of children aged 9-15 years in Guangdong Province, China
Key finding
71.41% of parents showed 'good' knowledge about HPV vaccine and vaccination