title: Acceptance of human papillomavirus vaccination and associated factors in the city of Resistencia, Argentina.
abstract: In Argentina, every year, 3000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed and more than 2000 deaths occur as a result of this disease. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main risk factor for cervical carcinogenesis.
  
  
  
  To establish the extent of acceptance of HPV vaccines and associated factors among legal guardians of candidate girls in an area of Resistencia, Chaco.
  
  
  
  Qualitative and quantitative study. A single randomized sampling was done based on school enrollment lists. Guardians who reported making decisions regarding girls' health in 2012 were included. A structured questionnaire made up of four constructs was used to measure overall acceptability. The association between overall acceptability and sociodemographic outcome measures was assessed.
  
  
  
  The rate of acceptance was 46.6% (95% confidence interval: 34.8-58.6). Among guardians, 84.2% were women; their mean age was 38.3 years old (95% confidence interval: 36.7-39.8). Religion was practiced by 86.8% (77.1-93.5), 55.2% were Catholic and 44.8%, Evangelical Protestants. Guardians with more than one candidate girl for the vaccine accounted for 18.9%. Also, 85.5% referred having heard about the virus at some point, and 52.7% knew that a vaccine could prevent it. Acceptance was significantly higher among guardians of those girls who had received the first vaccine dose (OR: 8.02, 95% confidence interval: 2.29-28.01, p= 0.0011).
  
  
  
  The rate of acceptance was low and no association was observed between sociodemographic and psychosocial factors and the decision to have girls vaccinated with the HPV vaccine.
authors.affiliation: Residencia en Epidemiología, Ministerio de Salud, Resistencia, Chaco, 3500, Argentina. martinchaparro87@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Raúl M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Chaparro
authors.affiliation: Residencia en Epidemiología, Ministerio de Salud, Resistencia, Chaco, 3500, Argentina.
authors.forename: Verónica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Em Vargas
authors.affiliation: Residencia en Epidemiología, Ministerio de Salud, Resistencia, Chaco, 3500, Argentina.
authors.forename: Liliana R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Zorzo
authors.affiliation: Residencia en Epidemiología, Ministerio de Salud, Resistencia, Chaco, 3500, Argentina.
authors.forename: Sebastián
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Genero
authors.affiliation: Programa Ampliado de Inmunizaciones, Ministerio de Salud, Resistencia, Chaco, 3500, Argentina.
authors.forename: Antonieta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cayre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001118:Argentina; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines
keywords: Acceptance of health care; Immunization; Papillomavirus infections; Tumor virus infections