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Introduction: The number of people refusing to vaccinate their children is growing in Poland every year. Anti-vaccine organisations lead very fierce disinformation campaigns. The incidence of vaccine preventable diseases is on the rise. Monitoring of parents’ attitudes towards preventive vaccinations and gauging the level of their understanding of the issue may enable more effective actions of organisations responsible for public health. Aim: The objectives of the study included finding out about parents’ opinions and views as well as evaluating their knowledge about vaccinations in Poland. The study was also to define a parents’ assessment of the range of campaigns promoting vaccination and actions of anti-vaccine movements. Material and method: The studies were carried out with a survey conducted among 233 parents or legal guardians of the children being under the obligation of vaccinations. Results: Nearly 90% of respondents are proponents of vaccinations, one-third of them consider some vaccinations unnecessary, and almost 7% of the surveyed describe themselves as opponents of vaccinations. 78% among the parents surveyed encountered campaigns promoting the Childhood Immunisation Programme, and most of them regard such campaigns as useful. Anti-vaccine movements were heard of by 62.4% of all the surveyed parents or legal guardians. 60% of respondents regard their own knowledge of the issue of vaccinations as sufficient. However, only 35% of respondents provided correct answers to the control questions about preventive vaccinations. People with higher education have better knowledge on vaccinations, whereas those with primary education have the best opinion on their own knowledge. Conclusions: Parents’ knowledge in terms of preventive vaccinations seems inadequate. The number of opponents of preventive vaccinations is systematically growing. The paediatrician being the main source of information on the issue of vaccinations for the parents. Monitoring of parents’ attitudes and opinions about the issue of preventive vaccination will be useful in better directing promoting campaigns in social media, and in adjusting healthcare workers’ activities to specific social groups.

Vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) is an effective primary prevention measure for HPV-related diseases. For children and young adolescents, the uptake of the vaccine is contingent on parental consent. This study sought to identify key differences between parents who obtain (acceptors) and parents who refuse (non-acceptors) the HPV vaccine for their daughters. In the context of a free, universal, school-based HPV vaccination program in Quebec, 774 parents of 9-10 year-old girls completed and returned a questionnaire by mail. The questionnaire was based on the theoretical constructs of the Health Belief Model (HBM), along with constructs from other theoretical frameworks. Of the 774 parents, 88.2% reported their daughter having received the HPV vaccine. Perceived susceptibility of daughters to HPV infection, perceived benefits of the vaccine, perceived barriers (including safety of the vaccine), and cues to action significantly distinguished between parents whose daughters had received the HPV vaccine and those whose daughters had not. Other significant factors associated with daughter vaccine uptake were parents' general vaccination attitudes, anticipated regret, adherence to other routinely recommended vaccines, social norms, and positive media influence. The results of this study identify a number of important correlates related to parents' decisions to accept or refuse the HPV vaccine uptake for their daughters. Future work may benefit from targeting such factors and incorporating other health behavior theories in the design of effective HPV vaccine uptake interventions.

Vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) is an effective primary prevention measure for HPV-related diseases. For children and young adolescents, the uptake of the vaccine is contingent on parental consent. This study sought to identify key differences between parents who obtain (acceptors) and parents who refuse (non-acceptors) the HPV vaccine for their daughters. In the context of a free, universal, school-based HPV vaccination program in Québec, 774 parents of 9–10 year-old girls completed and returned a questionnaire by mail. The questionnaire was based on the theoretical constructs of the Health Belief Model (HBM), along with constructs from other theoretical frameworks. Of the 774 parents, 88.2% reported their daughter having received the HPV vaccine. Perceived susceptibility of daughters to HPV infection, perceived benefits of the vaccine, perceived barriers (including safety of the vaccine), and cues to action significantly distinguished between parents whose daughters had received the HPV vaccine and those whose daughters had not. Other significant factors associated with daughter vaccine uptake were parents’ general vaccination attitudes, anticipated regret, adherence to other routinely recommended vaccines, social norms, and positive media influence. The results of this study identify a number of important correlates related to parents' decisions to accept or refuse the HPV vaccine uptake for their daughters. Future work may benefit from targeting such factors and incorporating other health behavior theories in the design of effective HPV vaccine uptake interventions.

Educational efforts targeting parents of preadolescents may help them make informed decisions about having their children vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV). We conducted a pilot study examining knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of community-based health educators and counselors who routinely disseminate sexual health and prevention information through counseling and supporting these parents. We evaluated the impact of a single, brief workshop by administering questionnaires before and after the session. The workshop consisted of an educational intervention that was presented orally by an expert in gynecological oncology and was followed by an open discussion period. Following the information and discussion session, improvements were seen in knowledge accuracy, confidence in being able to discuss HPV vaccine issues with parents, greater willingness to recommend the vaccine, and a better understanding of potential barriers to vaccine uptake. These results suggest that health educators and counselors may be better prepared to encourage their clients to make well-informed decisions regarding HPV vaccination.

Background: The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was recently approved for men. To effectively tailor HPV education efforts toward men, it is important to understand what men know about HPV and how this knowledge relates to their decision to receive the vaccine. This study examines how objective HPV knowledge, objective HPV vaccine knowledge, and perceived knowledge (level of confidence in one's HPV knowledge) relate to males' HPV vaccination intentions. Methods: One hundred and twenty-eight college men completed a questionnaire survey assessing their demographics, sexual health, and objective and perceived knowledge of HPV and the HPV vaccine. Results: Logistic regression analyses revealed that perceived knowledge and objective HPV vaccine knowledge were associated with vaccination intentions. Perceived knowledge was significantly associated with vaccination intentions even when accounting for objective HPV and HPV vaccine knowledge. Discussion and Translation to Health Education Practice: Perceived kn...

To compare the efficacy of 2 human papillomavirus (HPV) educational interventions on increasing HPV knowledge and vaccination intentions in college students.Male (n = 60) and female (n = 140) undergraduates (M (age) = 20.4, SD = 2.3) recruited from a university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from October 2009 to March 2010.Using theory-based interventions, participants were randomly assigned to either a written HPV pamphlet, an HPV video, or a control. HPV knowledge and vaccination intentions were assessed pre and postintervention.Low baseline knowledge and intentions were found across groups. Postintervention, participants in the written and video interventions had significantly higher knowledge and intentions than the control. No differences were found between written and video interventions on knowledge or intentions.This study, a first in comparing HPV educational formats, suggests that both written and video interventions are equally effective in educating about HPV and increasing young adults' vaccination intentions.

Objective: Using the health belief model (HBM) and theory of planned behavior (TPB) as theoreticalframeworks, the objectives of this study were: (a) to identify correlates of human papillomavirus (HPV)vaccination intentions and (b) to explore differences between correlates of HPV vaccination intentionsand uptake. Methods: Undergraduate women ( N 447) who did not intend to receive ( n 223),intended to receive ( n 102), or had received ( n 122) the HPV vaccine were surveyed. Logisticregressions were conducted to examine the correlates of vaccination intentions and uptake. Results:Negative health consequences of the vaccine, physician’s recommendation, positive attitudes toward thevaccine, and subjective norms were significant correlates of vaccination intentions. When comparingcorrelates of vaccination intentions to correlates of vaccination uptake, physician’s recommendation,subjective norms, and perceived susceptibility to HPV were unique correlates of uptake. Conclusion:Differences between correlates of vaccination intentions and uptake suggest that social influences ofliked and trusted individuals may make an important and unique contribution in motivating youngwomen to receive the HPV vaccine beyond other variables from the HBM and TPB. Future utilizationof longitudinal designs is needed to understand which factors may cause individuals to decide to receivethe HPV vaccine.Keywords: human papillomavirus (HPV), papillomavirus vaccine, health behaviors, vaccine decision-making