HPV vaccine information, knowledge, attitude, and recommendation intention among male college students in China

Abstract

This study aimed to describe the status quo of human papilloma virus (HPV)-related knowledge and attitude among Chinese male college students and explore the factors influencing HPV vaccination intention. A national, cross-sectional online survey was conducted among male college students in China to investigate their HPV-related information, knowledge, attitudes, and vaccine recommendation intentions. Path analysis based on the information, knowledge, attitude, and intention model was used to assess the relationships between predictors. In total, 823 male college students participated in the survey. More than 80% of the respondents believed that the HPV vaccine was necessary for their female partners, whereas 136 (16.52%) respondents knew nothing about HPV or HPV vaccines. Information exposure was a positive predictor of HPV-related knowledge. Knowledge subsequently had a positive impact on trust in HPV vaccines, and sufficient knowledge and a positive attitude increased the intention to recommend HPV vaccination (p