# Human papillomavirus vaccine uptake and associated factors among adolescent girls in Bona district, Sidama regional state, Ethiopia: a community-based study design

## TL;DR

This study found that nearly half of adolescent girls in Bona district, Ethiopia, received the HPV vaccine, with education and awareness being key factors in vaccine uptake.

## Contribution

The study provides new evidence on HPV vaccine uptake and its determinants in a low-resource setting in Ethiopia.

## Key findings

- The overall HPV vaccine uptake was 49.58% among adolescent girls in Bona district.
- Urban residence, higher education, knowledge about HPV, and positive attitudes were significantly associated with vaccine uptake.

## Abstract

In developing nations, adult women’s cancer deaths are mostly caused by cervical cancer. Vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the cost-effective global strategies for cervical cancer prevention, though vaccine uptake remains low in low-resource settings like Ethiopia. Despite the vaccine’s proven effectiveness in tackling cervical-related deaths, there is a dearth of evidence in Ethiopia, particularly in the study region, regarding the HPV vaccine uptake and its influencing factors.

This study aimed to determine HPV vaccination uptake and its associated factors among adolescent girls aged 14–19 years in the Bona district of Sidama regional State of Ethiopia.

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Bona district, Sidama region, Ethiopia, from June 1, 2024, to July 29, 2024. A systematic random sampling method was employed to recruit 833 study participants. Data were collected using a pretested, structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. The collected data were entered into Epi Data version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 25 software for final analysis. Binary logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with HPV vaccine uptake. Variables with a p-value <0.05 in the multivariable logistic regression were declared statistically significant predictors of HPV uptake.

In this study, the overall prevalence of HPV vaccination uptake was 49.58% [(95% CI: 46.18–52.98)]. Urban residence [AOR = 2.84 (95% CI: 1.87–4.31)], Educational status with college and above [AOR = 1.79 (95% CI 1.23–3.67)], Overall knowledge about HPV infection vaccine and cervical cancer [AOR = 2.53 (1.82–3.51)] and positive attitude towards vaccination [AOR = 2.12 (95% CI: 1.53–2.94)] were significantly associated with HPV vaccine uptake.

Almost one in two girls in the district took the HPV vaccine. The study implies that empowering women through education, promoting health awareness about HPV, cervical cancer, and the HPV vaccine, and implementing targeted interventions for rural populations are essential means to increase HPV vaccine uptake.