PARENTAL WILLINGNESS TO VACCINATE THEIR DAUGHTERS AGAINST HUMAN PAPILOMA VIRUS AND ITS ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN WOLDIA TOWN, NORTHEAST ETHIOPIA, 2022/23

ABSTRACT<br> Background: The cells of the cervical epithelial lining are the source of the malignant tumor caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) known as cervical cancer (CC). The human papillomavirus vaccine, which was introduced in Ethiopia since 2018, is an efficient method to prevent cervical cancer. Since the vaccination campaign is aimed at daughters aged 9 to 14 years, the parental willingness to vaccinate their daughters is crucial to the program's success.<br> Objective: To assess Parental willingness to vaccinate their daughters against human papillomavirus and its associated factors in Woldia town, Northeast Ethiopia, 2022/23.<br> Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 414 participants from January 10 to 25/2023. Study participants were selected by using a systematic sampling method. A structured face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data and the data was entered into Epi data version 4.6 and then exported to SPSS version 25 for cleaning and analysis. In bi-variable logistic regression analysis, all independent variables with a p-value less than 0.25 were eligible for multivariable logistic regression analysis. In multivariable logistic regressions, the significant association was identified based on a p-value of less than 0.05 at 95 CI%.<br> Results: A total of 410 study participants with a response rate of 99.03% were included in the study, 299(72.9%), 95% CI (68.3%, 77.2%) of them were willing to vaccinate their daughters. The study found that parents having; a family history of CC screening [AOR=3.27 95% CI (1.38, 7.74)], secondary and above educational status [(AOR=2.72, 95% CI= (1.29, 5.73)], good knowledge of HPV vaccination [AOR=3.00, 95% CI= (1.70, 5.28)], favorable attitude towards HPV vaccine [AOR=4.40, 95% CI= (2.45, 7.88)] were significantly associated with Parental willingness to daughters HPV vaccination.<br> Conclusion and Recommendations: This study revealed that most parents were willing to vaccinate their daughters against HPV and it was significantly associated with a family history of cervical cancer screening, level of education, knowledge, and attitude towards HPV vaccination. Therefore, providing health information regarding human papillomavirus vaccination with an emphasis to raise community awareness should be designed.<br> Keywords: Attitude, human papillomavirus vaccine, knowledge, willingness, and Woldia town.