BACKGROUND: Mothers play a crucial role in influencing their daughters\' HPV vaccination decisions. Addressing barriers to receiving HPV vaccination among mothers of girls may achieve two goals in one strike: increasing vaccination coverage among both mothers and their daughters. This study aims to examine the HPV vaccination uptake and its determinants among mothers of girls in China at both the individual and interpersonal levels.
METHODS: From July to October 2023, a cross-sectional online study was conducted to investigate HPV vaccine refusal for daughters aged 9-17 years among 11,678 mothers in Shenzhen, China. A randomized selection method was employed, targeting 11 primary schools and 13 secondary schools in Shenzhen. The research team invited mothers of girls to participate in an anonymous online survey. Multilevel logistic regression models (level 1: schools; level 2: individual participants) were employed to analyze the data.
RESULTS: Among 11,678 mothers, 41.1% self-reported receiving at least one dose of HPV vaccination. Through multilevel logistic regression analysis, eight items measuring illness representations of HPV, which refers to how people think about HPV, were associated with higher HPV vaccination uptake (AOR: 1.02-1.14). These items included identity (identifying symptoms of HPV), timeline (whether HPV is acute/chronic), negative consequences, personal and treatment control (whether HPV is under volitional control), concern, negative emotions, and coherence (overall understanding of HPV). In addition, participants refusing HPV vaccines for the index daughters (AOR: 0.82, 95%CI: 0.76, 0.89) had lower vaccine uptake. Perceived more difficulties in accessing the 9-valent vaccines (AOR: 1.06, 95%CI: 1.04, 1.08) and more satisfaction with vaccine-related promotional materials (AOR: 1.50, 95%CI: 1.46, 1.54) at the individual level were associated with higher vaccine uptake. At the interpersonal factors, higher frequency of exposure to testimonials given by others about HPV vaccination on social media (AOR: 1.19, 95%CI: 1.14, 1.25) and thoughtful consideration of the veracity of the information (AOR: 1.11, 95%CI: 1.07, 1.16) were correlated with higher HPV vaccination uptake.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings offer essential implications for modifying HPV disease perceptions, addressing difficulties in accessing the 9-valent HPV vaccines, and enhancing health communication needs to improve HPV vaccine uptake among mothers of girls.

To investigate the effect of a web-based educational intervention on changing female college students\' willingness and uptake of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, and factors associated with HPV vaccination acceptance in Western and Northern China.
A web-based cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in Western and Northern China from February to May 2020. A total of 967 female freshmen were recruited from two universities through convenience sampling, stratified sampling (liberal arts or sciences), and cluster sampling. Eligible students were randomized into intervention and control group with a 1:1 allocation ratio. The intervention group received seven days of web-based health education regarding HPV and HPV vaccines, whereas the control group received non-HPV-related materials. All students were asked to complete a post-intervention questionnaire to measure their awareness, uptake, and willingness to receive HPV vaccination at 7-day and one-month intervals. The chi-square test and Student\'s t-test were employed to examine the differences between the intervention and control groups for categorical and continuous data. Logistic regressions were used to analyze factors associated with vaccination intentions.
Nine hundred forty-six female freshmen aged 18.99 ± 0.63 years were enrolled in the study, with 532 in the intervention group and 414 in the control group. Prior to the intervention, 63.8%, 66.3%, and 60.8% of students had heard of HPV, HPV-related diseases, and HPV vaccines, respectively. Only 2.2% of students reported being vaccinated, but 33.0% were willing to be vaccinated against HPV. After seven days of education, students in the intervention group exhibited higher awareness (p < 0.001) and knowledge scores (5.13 ± 1.23 vs. 3.10 ± 1.99, p < 0.001) than those in the control group. Similarly, in the intervention groups, willingness to be vaccinated against HPV was significantly higher than in the control groups (p < 0.001). The high cost (57.7%) and concerns about adverse events (56.0%) were the main reasons female college students did not accept HPV vaccines. School location in urban areas, parents\' higher education backgrounds, history of HPV vaccination counseling, history of sexual behavior, and having heard of HPV vaccines were associated with a higher willingness to be vaccinated.
Female college students\' HPV vaccination uptake is insufficient, and they have minimal detailed knowledge about HPV and its vaccines. Web-based health education on HPV vaccines is an easy, feasible, and effective way to improve the awareness and acceptance of HPV vaccination among female college students, but it has limited effect on HPV vaccination uptake.