What question did this study set out to answer?

The study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding HPV vaccination among adults in the Souss-Massa region of Morocco.

July 11, 2026Open Access

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the HPV vaccine for young girls among adults in the Souss-Massa region, Morocco

BABouchra AmaouiUniversité Ibn Zohr RAReda AzmaniUniversité Ibn Zohr CBChafika Belkadi

Key Points

The study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding HPV vaccination among adults in the Souss-Massa region of Morocco.
Cross-sectional study conducted from October 2024 to June 2025 among 503 adults.
Data collected via a validated bilingual questionnaire covering sociodemographics, knowledge, attitudes, practices, and trust.
Statistical analyses performed using Chi-square, Mann–Whitney U, and Kruskal–Wallis tests, with p < 0.05.
89.3% of participants recognized HPV as a cause of cervical cancer, yet only 0.9% scored well on knowledge.
83.3% had positive attitudes toward vaccination; however, only 19.5% reported vaccinating their daughters.
Significant associations found between better knowledge/attitudes and female gender, higher education, and age ≥ 40 years.

Abstract

Cervical cancer (CC) remains a major public health problem, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In Morocco, vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) was included in the National Immunization Programme in 2022, but coverage remains limited. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the adult population toward HPV vaccination and to identify potential barriers to vaccine uptake in the Souss-Massa region. A cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2024 and June 2025 among 503 adults. Data were collected using a validated bilingual questionnaire covering five dimensions: sociodemographics, knowledge about HPV and vaccination, attitudes and intentions towards vaccination, reported vaccination practices, and trust in different sources of information. We performed analysis using Chi-square, Mann–Whitney U, and Kruskal–Wallis tests, with a threshold of p < 0.05. The study participants was predominantly female (80.5%), young (39.6% aged 20–29) and educated (93.5% at university level or higher). In terms of knowledge, 89.3% identified HPV as a cause of cervical cancer, but only 0.9% achieved a good overall score. Attitudes were generally positive (83.3% favourable), although 22.1% expressed concerns about side effects. However, uptake remained low: 19.5% of parents reported having vaccinated their daughters and 5.5% reported having vaccinated a relative. Trust was highest among healthcare professionals (55.7%), yet more than half of respondents expressed low overall trust. Bivariate analyses showed a significant associations between better knowledge/attitudes and age ≥ 40 years, female gender, higher education level and healthcare profession. This study reveals a marked discrepancy between favourable attitudes and actual practices, illustrating an “intention-behaviour gap”. Strengthening health education, mobilising healthcare professionals and implementing campaigns tailored to the sociocultural context are essential to improve vaccine uptake and achieve WHO targets.

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