April 7-9, 2022 • Hyatt Regency • Lexington, KY
Communication Strategies to Promote Comprehensive Well-being
Communication Strategies to Promote Comprehensive Well-being
Abstract: Perceived HPV Vaccine Effectiveness Predicts Rural West Virginia Parents’ Intention to Vaccinate Children, not Provider Recommendations
Human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause a variety of health concerns, including several cancers (CDC, 2021). HPV vaccination can prevent these cancers and other adverse health outcomes and is recommended at ages 11 or 12, although vaccination can start at age 9 and be given through age 26 and up to 45 (Black & Middleman, 2017). The Appalachian region of the U.S.—spanning from northern Mississippi to southern New York (Appalachian Regional Commission, n.d.)—has lower rates of HPV vaccination than the rest of the U.S. (Reiter, Katz, & Paskett, 2013). The subregions where West Virginia falls account for this disparity (Ryan et al., 2018), though the state is not as represented in social and behavioral science literature (Thompson, Risser, Dunfee, Schoenberg, & Burke, 2021). As such, it is critical to continue to identify barriers within the region to promote tailored and targeted communication strategies to facilitate vaccination. This study surveys parents from rural West Virginia counties (i.e., those with fewer than 5,000 residents; Health Resources and Services Administration, 2021). As no consistent measure of vaccine hesitancy is available (Larson, Jarrett, Eckersberger, Smith, & Paterson, 2014), key constructs closely resembling the conceptual basis of hesitancy are employed. Specifically, validated measures from the extended parallel process model (Witte, 1992) and the reasoned action approach (Fishbein & Azjen, 2010) are merged with belief measures adapted from public health literature on HPV and HPV vaccination. Studies of Appalachians’ HPV and HPV vaccine perceptions tend to be either qualitative or only include some behavioral predictors in their investigation. Quantitative study of West Virginians’ beliefs allows for assessing not only what predicts intention, but also which may be the strongest contenders for strategic messaging (Lee et al., 2016). Rural West Virginia parents (N = 116) were surveyed about their perceptions of their children’s HPV risk, their understanding of HPV and HPV vaccination, their communication with their children’s healthcare provider(s) about HPV vaccination, and their intention to vaccinate their children. Most parents reported being aware of HPV (89%) and HPV vaccination (85%), but also mostly reported that their child had not been vaccinated (57%). Most also did not report receiving an HPV vaccination recommendation from their child’s provider (54%). Contrary to theoretical predictions and expectations from existing HPV research, only perceived effectiveness of HPV vaccination statistically predicted parents’ intention to vaccinate their children, and not a provider’s recommendation nor perception of HPV risk. Examining individual beliefs found that believing that most people have HPV at some point in their life and believing that women can get HPV both positively predicted vaccination intention, but not beliefs such as that men can get HPV. Believing that HPV is spread through sexual intercourse negatively predicted vaccination intention. Campaign materials for the state’s Immunization Network and other community partners that were developed based on these insights, as well as additional messaging recommendations for West Virginia and other rural populations will be shared. Other ongoing work examining the perceptions of non-White West Virginians and provider interventions will also be previewed and discussed.