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. 2022 Nov 17;17(1):55.
doi: 10.1186/s13027-022-00467-7.

HPV knowledge and vaccine acceptability: a survey-based study among parents of adolescents (KAPPAS study)

Noelia López  1 , Ignacio Salamanca de la Cueva  2 , Elena Taborga  3 , Auxiliadora Fernández de Alba  2 , Inés Cabeza  4 , Reyes Mazas Raba  5 , Josep Marès  6 , Patricia Company  7 , Bruno Herrera  8 , Manuel Cotarelo  8
Affiliations

HPV knowledge and vaccine acceptability: a survey-based study among parents of adolescents (KAPPAS study)

Noelia López et al. Infect Agent Cancer. .

Abstract

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is recognized as one of the major causes of infection-related cancer worldwide. In Spain, the HPV vaccination program started in 2007 and until 2022, it targeted 12-year-old girls.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, multicenter survey-based research carried out at 24 pediatric offices to describe HPV knowledge and vaccine acceptability in parents of children aged between 9 and 14 years-old in Spain. Parents were randomly selected from the medical records following specific quotas to ensure representativeness. The survey included five sections that aim to collect information about sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of HPV, knowledge and acceptability of vaccines in general, HPV vaccination knowledge and HPV vaccine acceptability. Each section was constituted by a number of close questions with different answer options. Specific scores were assigned to each possible answer to these questions. Based on these scores, four composite variables were created to assess HPV knowledge, HPV vaccine knowledge, HPV vaccine acceptability and vaccines knowledge and acceptability in general. A latent class analysis was performed to identify different group of respondents according to their HPV vaccine acceptability.

Results: A total of 1405 valid surveys were included, with 86.19% of the respondents being mothers. The mean score of HPV knowledge was 28.92 out of 40 (maximum value) (95% CI 28.70-29.20) and the mean score of HPV vaccine acceptability was 3.37 out of 5 (maximum value). One third of parents still need more information to take a final decision about HPV vaccination in their children. Parents perceived that females were more likely to become infected than males and tended to associate HPV infection mainly with cervical cancer, showing a. a lack of information about other HPV-related diseases affecting males.

Conclusions: This study results highlight the need for future actions and educational initiatives to raise awareness of HPV consequences in both genders and to contribute to achieving the elimination of HPV-related diseases beyond cervical cancer.

Keywords: Acceptability; Adolescent; HPV; HPV vaccine; HPV-related diseases; Knowledge; Parents; Vaccination.

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Conflict of interest statement

NL, BH, and MC are full-time employee of MSD Spain. ISdlC has received grants and/or honoraria as a consultant/advisor or attending conferences and practical courses from GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi Pasteur, MSD and Pfizer. ET has received honoraria from MSD as an investigator for this study. AFdA has received honoraria from MSD as an investigator for this study. IC has received honoraria from MSD as an investigator for this study and grants for medical education activities. She has also participated as speaker for other pharmaceutical companies. RMR has received honoraria from MSD as investigator for this study. JM has received grants from MSD as an investigator for this study and payments for lectures including service on speaker bureau and as a board membership from GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi Pasteur, MSD and Pfizer. PC has received honoraria from MSD as investigator for this study.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Diseases related to HPV
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Answers to question: “I would vaccinate my son/daugther against HPV”
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Main sources to be consulted for obtaining more information about HPV vaccine, according to participant’s opinion
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Diseases that can be prevented by HPV vaccination, according to participant’s opinion
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Correlations between knowledge and vaccine acceptability. p < 0.001 for all correlations. The colour intensity and shape indicate the strength of the correlation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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