Factors associated with intention of human papillomavirus vaccination among Chinese college students: implications for health promotion

Human papilloma virus (HPV) is the most common reproductive tract virus. Most HPV infections occur during adolescence or young adulthood, and thus college students are one of the main target populations of HPV vaccination. However, data on knowledge of HPV and HPV vaccine as well as the intention to be vaccinated among Chinese college students were limited. The purpose of this study was to address this gap by investigating a sample of college students from four universities and analyzing the factors influencing their intention. College students (N = 343) filled in a survey comprised of demographic information, HPV and vaccine knowledge, and vaccination intention between September 2018 and January 2019. A descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to describe students' HPV-related knowledge and vaccination intention. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of HPV vaccination intention. The participants had low levels of HPV and HPV vaccine-related knowledge, as well as modest intention to be vaccinated. Significant differences were identified in gender, years of study, and perceived susceptibility of HPV infection. Students who perceived higher risk of HPV infection (OR = 6.659, p = .001), had higher level knowledge of HPV vaccine (OR = 2.697, p < .001), in junior (OR = 0.186, p = .006) and senior year (OR = 0.276, p = .015) had greater intention to get HPV vaccinated. The findings suggest that multiple-level efforts are continuously needed to target Chinese college students to increase their HPV vaccine knowledge and vaccination awareness to reduce HPV-related disease burden among this population.