Human papillomavirus awareness, vaccination rate, and sociodemographic covariates of vaccination status in a low-income country: A cross-sectional study in the rural Busoga region of Uganda

We aimed to describe Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and HPV vaccine awareness. Moreover, we estimated a vaccination rate for the accumulated target group of 10 to 18-year-old girls based on a maternal approach. Finally, we evaluated sociodemographic covariates of HPV vaccination status in rural Uganda. Via questionnaires filled by instructed research assistants, women above 18 years were included via randomisation schemes in the rural Busoga Region in Eastern Uganda. In total, 585 participants were included. One out of eight (12.6 %) had heard about HPV before. More than one-third (36.5 %) had heard about the HPV vaccine. Almost all (94.9 %) would vaccinate their daughter against HPV if they had one. Most participants (61.9 %) believed the vaccine prevents cervical cancer, although more than one-third (34.9 %) did not know this. Altogether, 213 mothers to 388 daughters aged 10 to 18 years were registered. Of these, 49 to 63 (12.6 % - 16.2 %) daughters were single-dose HPV vaccinated, and 79 (20.4 %) daughters were double-dose vaccinated, yielding an any-dose HPV vaccination rate of 33.0 % - 36.6 %. Lastly, 51 (13.1 %) of the daughters had a vaccination card confirming the vaccine. Living in a peri-urban district was a significant covariate of having a double-vaccinated daughter compared to rural districts. We found low awareness levels of HPV and the HPV vaccine, but indications of a favourable attitude toward the vaccine. The any-dose vaccination rate was 33 % - 36,6 % with indications that a future HPV awareness- and vaccine campaign should focus on the most peripheral districts of rural Uganda.