Predictors of parents' willingness to vaccinate for human papillomavirus and physicians' intentions to recommend the vaccine

Abstract

Background: The present study examined potential predictors of parents' willingness to vaccinate their children for human papillomavirus (HPV) and physicians' intentions to encourage parents to vaccinate their children, now that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a highly effective vaccine.

Methods: Parents (n=100) and physicians (n=100) were surveyed on-line in fall 2006, 4 months after the HPV vaccine, Gardasil, was approved by the FDA as a prophylactic vaccine for females ages 9-26 years.

Results: Religiosity, perceiving their children as susceptible to HPV, and perceived negative consequences of HPV infection were significant predictors of parents' intent to vaccinate. Physician specialty and whether or not physicians would vaccinate their own children were significant predictors of physicians' intent to encourage parents to vaccinate their children.

Conclusion: Campaigns aimed at increasing HPV vaccination should focus on educating parents about children's susceptibility to and the potential negative consequences of HPV infection. Furthermore, because there is now a significant body of evidence indicating that pediatricians and gynecologists have high intentions to encourage parents to vaccinate their children, the focus should be placed on strengthening the intentions of physicians in other specialties who serve children and their parents.