Abstract
Objective: To comprehensively identify the factors describing human papillomavirus vaccination behavior in female high school students and to clarify the concepts that coalesce to create the behavioral process manifested by students seeking vaccination.
Methods: Data obtained from 26 female high school students in Kanagawa, Japan by means of semi-structured interview were analyzed using the modified grounded theory approach (M-GTA) method.
Results: Thirty-eight concepts were generated within eight categories. The categories were as follows: (1) “Knowledge/information about cervical cancer and human papillomavirus vaccination”, (2) “Recognition of cervical cancer”, (3) “Degree to which the subject is influenced by friends”, (4) “Association/sexual behavior with the opposite sex”, (5) “Feelings towards vaccination”, (6) “Degree to which the subject is influenced by family as regards vaccination”, (7) “Barriers to vaccination”, and (8) “Abilities to coordinate vaccination-related behavior”. Within the vaccination process, “Knowledge/information about cervical cancer and human papillomavirus vaccination”, “Recognition of cervical cancer”, “Degree to which the subject is influenced by friends”, and “Association/sexual behavior with the opposite sex” influenced “Feelings towards vaccination”, with “Barriers to vaccination” and “Degree to which the subject is influenced by family as regards vaccination” emerging as operational barriers to vaccination. The results further showed that “Abilities to coordinate vaccination-related behavior” influenced ability to surmount these barriers.
Conclusions: A comprehensive list of factors (concepts) describing human papillomavirus vaccination behavior in female high school students was identified and an important dimension of the vaccination process thus elucidated. Furthermore, the results suggest that, in the theorization of the process, “Degree to which the subject is influenced by family as regards vaccination” and “Abilities to coordinate vaccination-related behavior” were characteristic explanatory factors.
