ATTITUDE AND WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS VACCINE AMONG EARLY ADOLESCENT GIRLS IN IBADAN NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OYO STATE

Abstract

Cervical cancer is a global public health and reproductive health issue, ranking forth among cancer-related mortality among women globally. It is the second most common cancer in women aged 15–44 years in Nigeria. Series of studies have been carried out regarding cervical cancer, HPV and HPV vaccine in Nigeria on knowledge of, attitude towards and willingness to accept HPV vaccination of young people among parents, health workers, teachers etc., but not among early adolescents. Therefore, the study investigated the attitude and willingness to accept human papilloma virus vaccine among early adolescent girls in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Oyo State. The descriptive cross-sectional study used five – stage sampling procedures to select 482 early adolescent girls in Ibadan North Local Government, Oyo State. 238 and 244 students from private and public schools respectively participated in the study. A validated five sections questionnaire which contained questions on socio-demographic, awareness and knowledge, attitude, factors influencing willingness and information needs was used to collect data. Respondents’ awareness of cancer, cervix, cervical cancer, HPV, HPV vaccine, cervical cancer screening and STI was categorized as low if the participants have heard at most two out of the seven topical areas, moderate if they have heard about three to four of the topical areas, or high if they have heard more than four of the seven topical areas. The ten (10) knowledge questions was graded on a scale of 0-9 as low, moderate or high if respondents answered correctly at most three, four to six and more than six knowledge questions respectively. The fifteen attitudinal statements were graded on forty five point scales as negative, indifferent or positive if respondents’ responses contradict, were mostly undecided or were in accordance with the expected (right) responses to the statements. Descriptive statistics, chisquare and regression were employed for data analysis with p=0.05. Respondents’ median age was 12 years, with majority of the respondents being of the Yoruba ethnic group (86.3%). Four out of every five respondent (80.1%) had low level of awareness on cervical cancer, its related diseases and prevention.

Most participants who were aware (83.2%) heard about HPV infection and prevention from their instructors and associates (Teachers/school, Church, peers/friends, August girls assembly, people and environment). Overall, 79.0% of the respondents’ had low level of knowledge on HPV infection and prevention and majority of the respondents (85.9%) showed a positive attitudinal disposition towards HPV vaccine. Majority of the participants (84.4%) indicated their willingness to accept HPV vaccine. Self-efficacy (confidence in self to take HPV vaccine) and response effectiveness (confidence in HPV vaccination against HPV infection) (73.7%) followed by cues to action (seeing friends being vaccinated at school) (49.8%) were leading factors that may influence their willingness to accept HPV vaccine. The study revealed high willingness to accept and positive attitude towards HPV vaccine but low level of awareness and knowledge among early adolescent girls. Therefore, awareness creation and training programmes should be organized for early adolescent girls to increase their knowledge so as to improve HPV vaccine uptake.