Knowledge and Perceptions of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Among Parents of Pediatric Patients at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital

Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection globally and the primary cause of cervical cancer. Despite the availability of safe and effective vaccines, HPV vaccination uptake remains low in Nigeria. Understanding parental knowledge and perceptions is crucial for improving vaccination rates. Objective This study aimed to assess the knowledge and perceptions of HPV vaccination among parents of pediatric patients at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Nigeria. Materials and methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 parents of pediatric patients attending NAUTH between May and June 2025. Data were collected using pre-tested, interviewer-administered structured questionnaires. Knowledge and perception scores were calculated and categorized. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0 (Released 2018; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA), with chi-square tests used to assess associations between sociodemographic variables and knowledge/perception levels. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results The mean age of respondents was 35.8 ± 7.2 years, with 67.4% being female. Most of the respondents (58.6%) had a tertiary education. Overall, 62.8% of the respondents had heard of HPV, while only 31.5% had heard of HPV vaccination. The knowledge scores revealed that 45.3% had poor knowledge, 38.5% had fair knowledge, and 16.2% had good knowledge of HPV vaccination. Perception analysis showed that only 52.3% had negative perceptions, 31.5% had neutral perceptions, and 16.2% had positive perceptions toward HPV vaccination. Higher education level (p = 0.001) and healthcare worker status (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with better knowledge, as only 8.3% of the respondents' children had received HPV vaccination. Conclusions While knowledge and perceptions of HPV vaccination among parents at NAUTH were poor, respondents were more willing to have their children vaccinated. Educational interventions targeting parents, particularly those with lower education levels, are urgently needed to improve HPV vaccination uptake and ultimately reduce cervical cancer burden in Nigeria.