Health information literacy mediates the relationship between active information seeking and HPV-related knowledge among female undergraduates: the moderating role of information channel characteristics

Background

Cervical cancer remains a significant global public health challenge. Although human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination effectively reduces incidence, coverage among Chinese female undergraduates remains suboptimal. Adequate HPV-related knowledge (HK) is essential for promoting vaccination uptake; however, the mechanism by which HPV-related active information seeking behavior (AISB) translates into accurate HK through health information literacy (HIL) remains underexplored. This study examines the mediating effect of HIL in the AISB-HK relationship and the moderating roles of primary information access channel type (CT) and channel trust preference (CTR), providing empirical evidence for targeted university-based HPV health education.