The role of personal health beliefs and altruistic beliefs in young Chinese adult men’s acceptance of the human papillomavirus vaccine

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Administering the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to men offers substantial health benefits for both themselves and their female partners. In mainland China, the HPV vaccine has not been approved for men, and little is known about their acceptance of it. This study aims to assess the acceptability of HPV vaccine among young Chinese adult men and examine the association between personal health beliefs, altruistic beliefs, and HPV vaccination intentions and behavioral attempts. A cross-sectional study was conducted among male university students using a multistage cluster sampling method in eight universities across five districts in Zhejiang Province, China. Data were collected from December 2020 to January 2021 using a self-administered, anonymous online questionnaire. Of the 1937 participants, 1009 who had heard of the HPV vaccine completed the questionnaire. Over one-third (40.4%, 408/1009) had high levels of HPV and HPV vaccine knowledge. A total of 695 of 1009 (68.9%) expressed an intention to receive the HPV vaccine when available, and 329 of 1009 (32.6%) had proactively inquired about male HPV vaccination. Perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, perceived gender barriers, and perceived benefits of male HPV vaccination for female partner were associated with HPV vaccination intentions. Lower perceived vaccine barriers, greater perceived benefits, and stronger vaccination intentions were associated with higher HPV behavioral attempts. There is an emerging demand for HPV vaccinations among young adult men in mainland China. Personal health beliefs and altruistic beliefs are crucial in promoting young adult men’s acceptance of the HPV vaccine. Emphasizing both male-specific benefits and altruistic motivations may enhance HPV vaccine acceptability among young adult men.