Knowledge, attitudes, and willingness towards HPV vaccine among male college students in Zhejiang Province, China

This study aimed to assess HPV-related knowledge and willingness to receive the HPV vaccine among male college students in Zhejiang Province, and to identify influencing factors to provide an evidence-based foundation for vaccination promotion. We conducted a questionnaire survey on male college students in Zhejiang Province, Sociodemographic data, an HPV-knowledge scale, and items measuring vaccine awareness and willingness were collected. Guided by the Health Belief Model (HBM) and a stigma scale, six dimensions were evaluated: perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, self-efficacy, and a stigma index. Among 604 participants (mean age 19.33 ± 1.39 years), 67.1% (n = 405) were willing to receive the HPV vaccine. Compared with unwilling students, willing students scored higher on HPV knowledge (5.05 ± 1.73 vs 3.78 ± 2.43, <i>P</i> < .01), were more likely to have vaccinated relatives or friends (19.8% vs 10.1%, <i>P</i> < .01),and demonstrated greater baseline awareness (68.6% vs 54.8%, <i>P</i> < .01). HBM scores showed that willing students perceived greater severity and benefits, reported higher self-efficacy, and encountered fewer barriers(all <i>P</i> < .05). Logistic regression indicated that higher self-efficacy (OR = 2.58, 95%CI:1.89-3.52) and superior HPV knowledge (OR = 1.29, 95%CI:1.16-1.42) increased vaccination intention, whereas greater barriers reduced it (OR = 0.74, 95%CI:0.56-0.97). Accurate HPV knowledge and strong self-efficacy are the principal levers for increasing HPV-vaccine uptake among male university students.Therefore, integrating targeted educational interventions that explicitly address HPV myths and build confidence alongside supportive campus policies, to lower perceived barriers and sustainably expand male HPV-vaccine coverage.