O19.4 Acceptability of HPV Vaccination Among Parents of Adolescent School Going Girls in Mysore City, India. (13th July 2013) - Krupp, K
Abstract : Background: One in every four reported cases of cervical cancer occurs in India. While mortality from the disease has all but disappeared in industrial countries, 74, 000 Indian women still die each year from this preventable cancer. It has been estimated that widespread uptake of HPV vaccine by adolescent girls could reduce this high incidence and mortality by approximately two-thirds. This study explores correlates of HPV vaccine acceptability among parents of adolescent school-going girls in urban Mysore, India. Methods: Between August and December of 2011, participants were selected by stratified, multi-stage random sampling in schools located in Urban Mysore. Questionnaires were sent home with a random sample of 800 adolescent girls 11–15 years of age attending 10 schools in Mysore city to be completed by a parent. Logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with parental acceptability of HPV vaccine. Results: 797 completed surveys (99.6%) were received back from parents. About 72% of respondents would accept the HPV vaccine for their daughters. Vaccine acceptance was higher among participants who had experienced cancer in their family (OR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.07, 2.65), or perceived that their family doctor (5.04; CI 3.27, 7.76) or spouse (5.01; CI: 3.20, 7.87) would approve. Parents having concerns about vaccinations in general (0.38; CI: 0.25, 0.57), vaccine side-effects (0.65; CI: 0.45, 0.94), vaccine safety (0.64; CI: 0.42, 0.97) or the possibility that their daughter might become sexually active (0.71; CI: 0.28, 0.76) had lower odds of accepting HPV vaccination. Parents belonging to the Muslim religion (0.54; CI: 0.37, 0.80) had lower odds of vaccine of HPV vaccine acceptance. Conclusion: The majority of parents of school-going adolescent girls in Mysore found HPV immunisation acceptable. Further research is needed to understand the issues associated with HPV vaccination in different religious groups in India.