Nurses' and teachers' perceived barriers and facilitators to the uptake of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination program in Iquitos, Peru: A qualitative study

PLoS One. 2021 Jul 29;16(7):e0255218. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255218. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Globally, over 300,000 women die of cervical cancer annually. Given that human papillomavirus vaccines are highly effective in the primary prevention of cervical cancer, it is important to explore the barriers and facilitators to vaccination uptake in areas where the burden of disease remains high. This study, informed by the socio-ecological model, aimed to qualitatively explore vaccination uptake via in-depth interviews with eleven nurses and ten teachers involved in vaccine delivery in Iquitos, Peru. The results highlighted that vaccine uptake was influenced by multiple factors including individuals' knowledge and attitudes, community beliefs, geography, and policy level variables. Findings suggested that professionals were informed and supportive of the HPV vaccination program but perceived that parents were uninformed about the vaccine. There is a need for community education programs, for a revision of the process of obtaining parental consent, for improved communication between professionals and for involvement of grassroots staff in policy making.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Human Papillomavirus Viruses
  • Humans
  • Immunization Programs
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nurses* / psychology
  • Papillomavirus Infections* / prevention & control
  • Papillomavirus Vaccines* / administration & dosage
  • Patient Acceptance of Health Care / psychology
  • Peru
  • Qualitative Research*
  • School Teachers* / psychology
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms* / prevention & control
  • Vaccination / psychology

Substances

  • Papillomavirus Vaccines

Grants and funding

The first author received awards from the Population Sciences and Humanities department (grant number FIN 7N, https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/med/publichealthpopulationsciencebmedsc-intercalateddegree.aspx) and the Sir Arthur Thomson Charitable Trust (grant number FIN 42 https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/mds/icat/undergraduate/index.aspx), both at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.