Abstract
A cross-sectional correlational research design was carried out to investigate the correlation between health beliefs, health knowledge and HPV vaccine hesitancy among mothers of young girls in Pakistan. The sample comprised (n=120) Pakistani mothers having at least one daughter between 9 and 16 years of age recruited through purposive sampling from different community and educational settings. Questionnaires were adapted from previously validated scales such as The Health Belief Model Scale for Human Papillomavirus and Its Vaccination (HBMS-HPVV), The HPV Knowledge Scale (HPV-KS) and The Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS) and used to collect data. Assessment measures were used in both Urdu and English language, the items were modified accordingly to the cultural context of Pakistan and for the ease of understanding of the participants. The response format was also modified for greater convenience in administering. reliability analysis, Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA,Pearson product-moment correlation, and multiple linear regression analysis were used for statistical analyses. The results showed that there was moderate HPV knowledge and moderate HPV vaccine hesitancy among mothers. HPV knowledge was significantly negatively correlated with HPV vaccine hesitancy, which means that more HPV knowledge was associated with a decreased level of HPV vaccine hesitancy. Regression analysis also revealed that HPV knowledge had a significant negative association with HPV vaccine hesitancy, while perceived barriers had a positive association with HPV vaccine hesitancy. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation among participant age and vaccine hesitancy and perceived barriers. Significant differences in vaccine hesitancy were found across, residential status, family system, family history of cervical cancer, vaccination history, or history of adverse vaccine reactions, however no significant difference was found across educational level. The study concludes that lack of HPV-related knowledge and increased perceived barriers are some of the most significant factors behind HPV vaccine hesitancy among mothers in Pakistan. The results suggest the necessity of awareness sessions, educational programs and counseling through healthcare services to strengthen the knowledge about HPV and reduce the misconceptions about HPV vaccination which should be culturally sensitive. The importance of making HPV vaccination a part of the national immunization agendas and reinforcing the regulatory systems on HPV vaccine in Pakistan cannot be stressed enough. The study adds to the paucity of literature on HPV vaccine hesitancy from the local context and offers significant policy, health education, and research implications for the country of Pakistan.