Parental Acceptance of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination in Districts with High Prevalence of Cervical Cancer in West Java, Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the second-highest cause of death in women with cancer, which is mostly caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, specifically HPV 16 and 18. Next to Pap smear and visual inspection with acetic acid, HPV vaccination is highly recommended to support preventive measures. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine parental acceptance of HPV vaccination in districts with high prevalence of cervical cancer and different levels of household income in West Java, Indonesia by taking several factors into account. METHODS: A questionnaire was delivered to 286 parents who met the major inclusion criteria of having daughters at 5th or 6th grade of elementary schools in three selected districts: Bandung, Purwakarta and Karawang. In particular, logistic regression analysis was applied to investigate the correlation of acceptance towards HPV vaccination with sociodemographic factors. RESULTS: Respondents in Bandung, Purwakarta and Karawang were willing to pay for HPV vaccine at a price range of US$ 1.38–20.69, US$ 0.07–34.48, and US$ 1.38–6.90, respectively. In addition, respondents’ spouse was the key person influencing their decision to vaccinate their children. CONCLUSION: Education level and health beliefs toward cervical cancer have significant correlation (p-value <0.05) with acceptance towards HPV vaccination.