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Influencing factors of Chinese male circumcision acceptance willingness: a health belief model approach

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Abstract

Although circumcision has been promoted worldwide, the Chinese male circumcision rate has been far below the world average. By refining the health belief model, we further explored the factors that influence the willingness of Chinese men to be circumcised. This study conducted a sample survey of male willingness to accept circumcision surgery in all provinces of China. Linear regression equation and structural equation model were used to explore the influencing factors of Chinese male-circumcision acceptance willingness. The results showed that trust in the health system and health knowledge were the fundamental factors influencing willingness for male circumcision, related to perceived susceptibility, severity and perceived benefit. However, perceived barriers did not seem to affect Chinese men's willingness to circumcision. This study found that Chinese men's health decisions about whether to undergo circumcision were not only related to perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, and perceived severity, but also their age, education, and pressure from acquaintances and trust in the health system. Extensive science popularization to the public plays an important role in reducing circumcision hesitation.

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Data availability

The data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to express special thanks to Jun Liu for the valuable suggestions provided during the writing process of this article. We also extend our gratitude to the insightful recommendations from the reviewers, which have played a significant role in enhancing the quality of this manuscript.

Funding

This research was funded by National Social Science Foundation Youth Project “Research on the Influence of Social bots on the Climate of False Opinions in International Communication” and Major projects of Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education “Research on the Influence of Social Bots on the Climate of False Opinions in International Communication and its Regulation”, grant number 21CXW028 and 2021SJZDA151. This research is the phased achievements of Collaborative Innovation Center for New Urbanization and Social Governance of Soochow University.

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  1. Menghan Zhang and Ze Chen is co-first author.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Communication, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China

    Menghan Zhang, Ze Chen & Xinyan Liu

  2. Centre for Chinese Urbanization Studies of Soochow University & Collaborative Innovation Center for New Urbanization and Social Governance of Universities, Suzhou, China

    Menghan Zhang, Ze Chen & Xinyan Liu

  3. Department of Communication, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Jun Liu

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Zhang, M., Chen, Z., Liu, X. et al. Influencing factors of Chinese male circumcision acceptance willingness: a health belief model approach. Curr Psychol 43, 18474–18486 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-05647-9

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