RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEALTH BELIEF MODEL AND HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS VACCINE INTENT AMONG FEMALE STUDENTS OF URMIA UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the underlying cause of cancer and prevention of this health problem through vaccination has been considered in all countries. The Health Belief Model (HBM) as a behavioral study model helps researchers determine the causes of health behaviors. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the relationship between HBM constructs and intention to perform HPV vaccination among nursing and midwifery students of Urmia University of Medical Sciences.

This cross-sectional study was done among 202 midwifery-nursing students at Urmia University of Medical Sciences in 2019. Samples were selected based on census method and entered into the study. The data collection tool was a valid and reliable researcher-made questionnaire containing demographic information and HBM constructs. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (mean, standard deviation, Pearson correlation coefficient, and linear regression) in SPSS software. The p <0.05 was considered significant.

Among HBM constructs, all constructs except construct of perceived barriers showed a significant statistical relationship with students' intention to HPV vaccination. Overall, the present study model explained 62 percent of the variance in HPV vaccination intention. The predictive power of perceived self-efficacy was more than other model constructs.

The present study revealed that the HBM was a good approach to explain the intention to perform HPV vaccination. Therefore, the results of this study can be used to design educational interventions to improve the beliefs and attitudes of women regarding HPV vaccination.