Parental knowledge, attitudes, and hesitancy toward human papillomavirus vaccination in Saudi Arabia: an online cross-sectional study

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Source: Frontiers Medicine

Original: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2026.1687347...

Published: 2026-03-25T00:00:00Z

A cross-sectional study of 675 parents of daughters aged 11–15 years in Saudi Arabia showed that only 43.5% of parents were aware of the mandatory HPV vaccination program for adolescent girls, although only 11% had heard of it before the survey. Fathers were significantly less knowledgeable than mothers (AOR = 0.29; 95% CI: 0.14–0.60, p = 0.001). Parents in healthcare professions had higher knowledge than others (AOR = 2.15; 95% CI: 1.02–4.50, p = 0.043), mothers without a Pap test less so (AOR = 0.33; 95% CI: 0.24–0.65, p < 0.001). Older parents had less favorable attitudes than younger ones (AOR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.22–0.91, p = 0.025), urban parents more positive than rural parents (AOR = 2.30; 95% CI: 1.12–4.024, p = 0). A negative family history of cervical cancer led to a less positive attitude (AOR = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.23–0.56, p = 0.030). The main concerns caused by hesitation were side effects (53.4%) and vaccine safety (42.5%). The study recommends strengthening education through health professionals and addressing gender differences.