Abstract:
Background: Cervical cancer is one of the most diagnosed and deadly cancers in women globally. Though vaccination is an effective way to reduce cervical cancer. In recent years vaccination acceptance by adolescents remains a challenge in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), including Ethiopia, however, evidence is rare on the willingness of human papilloma vaccination and associated factors among adolescent girls. Thus, this study aimed to compare levels of willingness and associated factors among adolescent female students in primary schools.
Methods: facility -based comparative cross-sectional study was applied among adolescents aged 10-19 yrs in Bahir Dar primary school, North West, Ethiopia, from September 1 to October 30, 2021. A total of 844 adolescent girls were selected by the multistage sampling technique. A pretested and structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. A binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with the willingness of human papillomavirus vaccination. Chi-square-test(X2), Crude, adjusted odd ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated to assess the strength of association and significance of factors associated with willingness of vaccination.
Results: The overall proportion of willingness of human papillomavirus vaccination among adolescent girls aged 10-19 yrs was 50.6% (95%CI: 47.4-54), whereas in government and private-owned primary school it was 61% (95%CI:56.3-65.4%) and 40.2% (95%CI: 35.6-44.9), respectively. Maternal education (AOR=2.0,95%CI:1.29-3.05), cue to action (AOR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.20–3.05), self-efficacy (AOR=2.34, 95% CI: 1.58– 3.48) and perceived barriers (AOR =0.49, 95% CI: 0.34–0.70) were significantly associated with willingness of human papilloma vaccination.
Conclusion: The proportion of willingness of human papillomavirus vaccination was higher among adolescent girls in government than the private-owned primary schools. Maternal education, perceived barrier, cue to action, self-efficacy and perceived barriers were significantly associated with willingness of human papillomavirus vaccination.
The for more effort should be focused on school-based education on cervical cancer and its prevention is crucial to decrease human papilloma potential barriers and to increase adolescent awareness as well as acceptance.
Keywords: willingness, Health Belief Model, Human papilloma vaccination, Adolescent, Ethiopia