Journal Article Ppublish
PubMed: 42550689 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2026.2708426
Application of an extended information-motivation-behavioral skills model to predict HPV vaccine acceptability among Chinese gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men.
Hum Vaccin Immunother 22(1):2708426
Authors: Qiufeng Liu, Li Ping Wong, Sin How Lim
Affiliations
- Centre for Population Health (CePH), Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Jiangsu College of Nursing, Huai'an, Jiangsu, China.
- Centre for Population Health (CePH), Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes substantial disease burden among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), yet HPV vaccination pathways for men remain evolving in mainland China.
PURPOSE
To apply a culturally adapted, extended Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model to identify psychosocial pathways associated with HPV vaccine acceptability among Chinese GBMSM.
METHODS
A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between December 2024 and January 2025 among 1,045 GBMSM living in mainland China. Measures included HPV-related information, health beliefs, anticipated regret, subjective norms, self-efficacy, and HPV vaccine acceptability. Measurement and structural equation models estimated direct and indirect pathways.
RESULTS
HPV vaccine acceptability was moderate (mean 3.40, SD 1.14). Subjective norms were the strongest predictor of acceptability (β = 0.68, p < .001), with additional positive effects from health beliefs (β = 0.17, p < .01), information (β = 0.14, p < .001), and self-efficacy (β = 0.13, p = .02). Anticipated regret showed a positive indirect effect through self-efficacy (unstandardized B = 0.056, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.12) but a negative direct association with acceptability (β = -0.11, p = .03).
CONCLUSIONS
HPV vaccine acceptability among Chinese GBMSM was shaped predominantly by social norms, with self-efficacy acting as a key pathway through which psychosocial factors were associated with acceptability.
MeSH
Vaccines, Social Norms, Motivation, Sex, Alphapapillomavirus, Human Papillomavirus Viruses