Parents' Knowledge of and Attitude Toward the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

BACKGROUND  Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common cause of cervical cancer among Saudi females in reproductive age. Parents' awareness of and attitude toward vaccination against HPV in young females are very crucial to prevent the development of cervical cancer. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of and attitude toward the HPV vaccine among Saudi parents in the Saudi western region. METHODS An analytical cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted that included 343 parents randomly selected from in the Saudi western region. The online questionnaire was disseminated via WhatsApp and Telegram groups of parents in schools and among visitors of parents in primary health care. RESULTS The studied parents had poor knowledge of HPV and its vaccine. About a third (32.9%) knew about the HPV vaccine and the most common source of their knowledge was physicians (38%) while the most frequent barrier for vaccination was their confidence of being not at risk (75.2%). About 90.0% of parents having a good level of knowledge were willing to vaccinate their children. CONCLUSION This study reveals a poor level of knowledge about HPV infection and its vaccine among both male and female parents in the Saudi Arabian western area. As a consequence, only 7.2% of them had vaccinated their female children. The majority of the parents having good knowledge about the HPV vaccine were willing to vaccinate their children. Therefore, this study highlights the necessity of educating women on cervical cancer risk factors, as well as the importance of screening programs.