Health Professional Students’ Willingness To Pay For Human Papillomavirus Vaccination And Factors Influencing Their Decision In Malaysia

Objectives Willingness-to-pay techniques are increasingly being applied in economic evaluation, as a means of assessing the value of new health care technologies. The objective of the present study was to assess the willingness to pay for Human Papillomavirus vaccination and factors influencing the willingness to pay among health professional students as health professionals play a vital role in human papillomavirus vaccine acceptance in Asian populations. Methods Students studying undergraduate health professional courses (Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing) in a private medical University in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the period from June 2014 - January 2015 were selected. The participants’ demographic details were gathered by a self-administered questionnaire. The contingent valuation method was used to assess each respondent’s willingness to pay to take HPV vaccination and reduce the risk of cervical cancer. This method represents a single “take it or leave it offer”, whereby people are asked if they are willing to pay a specific pre-determined price for the benefit presented. Results The mean age of the respondents was 23.5 years, (SD ±1. 0). 55.2% reported as being in a relationship. Most of the participants were willing to pay an amount up to RM 500 to receive HPV vaccination. The median WTP for HPV vaccination is RM 465. Age, gender, and the patient’s perceived health status at baseline were not associated with WTP. Respondents who are in a relationship (committed and dating) showed greater interest in vaccinating themselves and the relationship status emerged as unique predictors; Committed (OR= 2.20, P <0.05) and dating (OR = 2.20, P<0. 05). Conclusions Avoidance of human papillomavirus infection and cervical cancer may have considerable value to the undergraduate students of health professional courses and this data will help future validation in a larger population in Malaysia.

Value in Health

Value in Health

18

1524-4733

N/A

7

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