Factors Associated with Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Uptake among Selected University Students in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

Abstract

Introduction: Cervical Cancer remains a major global health threat. However, there is paucity of information about help-seeking behaviour among tertiary students in Ghana. This study sought to examine the factors associated with human papillomavirus vaccine uptake among University Students in Ghana. Method: The study adopted an analytic cross-sectional design that involved 1050 university students. A multi-stage sampling technique was used. The data was analyzed using STATA version 15 (Stata Corporation, College Station, TX, USA). Statistical techniques used include the independent student t-test, one-way ANOVA and Pearson Chi-Square test with an alpha level of 0.05. The association between the dependent and independent variables were modelled using logistic regression with a 95% confidence interval. Result: The study result indicates that about 10% of the participants were vaccinated against the HPV virus. The participants with higher scores on the knowledge test were more likely to have been vaccinated (aOR:1.19; 95% CI: 1.08 to 2.13) compared to those who had low scores. Having an elevated perception of vulnerability (aOR:11.37; 95% CI: 7.09 to 11.28) to the HPV virus, perceiving infection as being severe (aOR: 4.92; 95% CI: 3.87 to 8.19), perceiving the vaccine as being beneficial (aOR: 5.87; 95% CI: 4.45 to 8.32) increased the odds that a participant will accept the vaccine. In contrast, the perception of a barrier (aOR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.19 to 0.79) when accessing the vaccine reduced the odds of accepting it. Being 30 years and above was associated with higher odds for HPV vaccine uptake (aOR:2.43; 95% CI: 1.02 to 5.71), compared to being below 19 years of age. Also, the study participants who were married or cohabiting were 1.3(95% CI:1.02 to 3.22) times more likely to have received the vaccine compared to counterparts who were never married. The participants who belonged to the Health Science College (aOR: 2.31; 95% CI: 1.46 to 5.08) were more likely to vaccinate compared to those belonging to the Basic and Applied Science College. Conclusion: The HPV vaccine uptake among university students can be increased by improving perception and knowledge through education.