Factors associated with the acceptability of the human papillomavirus vaccine among parents of primary school students in Chile
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15517/1k0c0d10Keywords:
Papillomavirus Vaccines, Vaccine Hesitancy, Parents , Health Knowledge, Sociodemographic FactorsAbstract
Chile’s National Immunization Program introduced the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for girls in 2014 and for boys in 2019; nonetheless, hesitancy about vaccinating persists in part of the population. Objective: To analyze factors associated with acceptability of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among parents of 1st to 3rd grade primary school students in the Metropolitan Region of Chile, including socioeconomic and sociodemographic variables, level of knowledge, and sources of information. Methods: Analytical cross-sectional study with a convenience sample (n = 71). An online questionnaire was administered, and binomial logistic regression was fitted (accepts = 1; no/undecided = 0). Results: Acceptance was 88.7%. 63.4% had low knowledge of the vaccine, whereas 74.6% had high knowledge of HPV. In the multivariable model, only HPV knowledge was associated with acceptance (p = .023). Specifically, deficient knowledge (vs. high) was linked to lower odds of acceptance (OR = 0.024; IC 95% [0.001, 0.591]), equivalent to ≈41-fold higher odds of refusal/undecided status. Nationality, educational level, school type, use of reliable information sources, and knowledge of the vaccine were not significantly associated. Conclusions: Acceptance was high and depended primarily on knowledge of HPV. Strengthening vaccine-focused communication (preventable diseases, schedule, and safety) through healthcare teams in schools is recommended. The sample size and convenience sampling limit generalizability; confirmation in larger, more diverse samples is warranted.
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