Knowledge, attitudes, and communication around human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination amongst urban Asian mothers and physicians

Vaccine. 2010 May 14;28(22):3809-17. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.03.027. Epub 2010 Mar 26.

Abstract

To determine why HPV vaccination uptake is low in Asia, we surveyed attitudes, knowledge and communication about cervical cancer and HPV vaccination amongst 480 physicians and 1617 randomly selected urban mothers who could afford HPV vaccines in Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand. HPV vaccine rejection by mothers was linked with poor knowledge and low perceptions of self-relevance. Physicians' likelihood of raising the subject and/or recommending vaccination was linked to how proactively they advocate preventive health, their attitude to the subject's sensitivity and their knowledge levels. Because most Asian mothers seek doctors' advice and prefer them to take the initiative, physicians should be more proactive in discussing and recommending HPV vaccination.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Asian People
  • Communication
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Humans
  • Malaysia
  • Mothers / psychology*
  • Papillomavirus Infections / prevention & control
  • Papillomavirus Vaccines*
  • Physician-Patient Relations
  • Physicians*
  • Republic of Korea
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • Urban Population
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / prevention & control
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / virology

Substances

  • Papillomavirus Vaccines