Factors influencing an intent to vaccinate a child for HPV among parents of primary school students

Abstract Background HPV vaccines are offered free of charge in Poland to 9-17-year-old children. Nationally about 20% of eligible children are vaccinated. This survey assessed the factors associated with HPV vaccination intention among parents of primary school students. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted for consecutive Polish and Ukrainian parents (n = 152) of children aged 9 to 17 years. Data were collected between December 2024 and March 2025 in 5 Polish primary schools with the highest number of Ukrainian students, in Zielona Gora, Poland. Respondents completed anonymous, self-administered questionnaires on HPV knowledge and intent, consisting of 27 questions. Results Among 152 respondents, 14.5% were fathers; 52.0% of parents were ≥40 years of age; Ukrainian migrants comprised of 9.9%. Only 30.2% reported vaccinating a child for HPV, of the rest 35.2% indicated they were willing to vaccinate a child (less Ukrainian than Polish parents), 37.8% were undecided, 27.0% were vaccination opponents. The most often reported reason for vaccination was ‘I want to protect my child from cancer’ (78.9%) and for non-vaccination was concern about the side effects (52.4%). Parent's age as a factor of HPV vaccination, considered separately, was found to be significant (p = 0.0002) in the simple logistic regression model: OR = 1.15 (95%CI: 1.07- 1.23). An age 1 year higher causes an average increase in the chance of vaccination by 14.8%, an age higher by 10 years causes an almost 4-fold increase as OR10=3.96. Family history of cancer (OR = 4.80, 95%CI: 1.87-12.30), and having ≤2 children (OR = 3.14, 95%CI: 1.37-7.16) were associated with a greater chance for positive vaccination intention. Conclusions Intention to vaccinate a child for HPV was disturbingly low among Polish and Ukrainian parents. To enhance the HPV vaccination rate, tailored education should be provided, particularly to younger parents and numerous, multi-child families. Key messages • Results can be used as a tool to reassess the target groups of educational campaigns, as it is crucial for the improvement of overall HPV vaccination coverage among adolescents in Poland. • In-depth interviews are needed to better explore the reasons behind non-vaccination.