Effect of online comments on HPV vaccination intentions: the role of valence, argument quality, and self-efficacy

Online comments increasingly shape public health decisions, yet their influence on vaccination behavior remains underexplored. This study examined how the comment valence and argument strength affect HPV vaccination intentions and whether self-efficacy mediates these effects. A 2 x 2 between-subjects experimental study was conducted with 200 Chinese female college students in China who had not received the HPV vaccine. The results showed that positive comments significantly increased HPV vaccination intentions compare to negative comments (M = 4.0 vs. 2.4, p ＜ .001). Self-efficacy mediated the effect of valence but not argument strength. Results indicate that positive and evidence-based comments are associated with higher vaccination intentions, offering insights for digital health campaigns.