Factors Influencing HPV Vaccination Uptake Among College Students

Abstract

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most commonly contracted sexually transmitted disease in the United States and is the cause for most cases of HPV-related cancers. Although there is an HPV vaccine, it is not yet widely administered as it is not part of the required vaccinations. This study examined health beliefs, such as perceived barriers and perceived susceptibility, for obtaining the HPV vaccine among college students, in addition to determining the success of a health education event for increasing knowledge and awareness about HPV and the HPV vaccine. The pre- and posttests given to participants at an on-campus educational event were analyzed using paired sample t-tests and one-way ANCOVA analyses. The findings of this study show that in this sample, the most common barriers to receiving the HPV vaccine are lack of parental support, lack of access to the vaccine, low perceived susceptibility and low perceived severity. However, results determined that the educational event was successful in significantly increasing knowledge and awareness and positively influencing health beliefs about HPV and the HPV vaccine.