Background and purpose: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was approved for girls aged 9-24 years in 2006 to prevent HPV infection and cervical cancer. The Parental Human Papillomavirus Survey (PHPVS) was framed on theoretical constructs of the health belief model (HBM) and developed to survey parents regarding their HPV knowledge, attitudes, and intent to vaccinate.
Methods: We evaluated the psychometric properties of the PHPVS using classical item analysis and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) among a sample of 200 parents/caregivers.
Results: The EFA yielded a 4-factor unidimensional model that explained between 62% and 68% of the total variance depending on the extraction method used. The estimated Cronbach's alpha for the PHPVS was .96.
Conclusions: The PHPVS is a reliable measure of HPV knowledge, attitudes, and intent to vaccinate.