Abstract

This study sought to determine knowledge about human papillomaviruses (HPV), vaccination acceptability and intent to vaccinate, and describe the individual characteristics, and sociocultural attitudes that affect African American parents' intent to vaccinate their daughters. Two hundred African Americans completed self-administered surveys that assessed factors that may influence HPV vaccination behavior, HPV and cervical cancer knowledge and risk perception, cultural attitudes, and preferences for location and timing of vaccination. Eligibility criteria included men and women who had a daughter aged 9 to 17 years, whether the daughter had or had not been told that she had an HPV infection. Approximately two-thirds of the African American parents surveyed were aware of HPV and HPV vaccination. Responders were likely to be female, younger, employed, and to have social resources. They were also knowledgeable about HPV, but knowledge did not necessarily lead to vaccination. Among parents knowledgeable about HPV, vaccination status was significantly affected by whether a pediatrician had recommended the vaccine. There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics or sociocultural attitudes between the parents who had vaccinated their daughters and those who had not, although more of the parents who had vaccinated daughters were worried about STIs.

Authors

Thompson VL, Arnold LD, Notaro SR

Institution

George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Health Communication Research Laboratory, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. vthompson@gwbmail.wustl.edu

Source

Ethnicity & disease 21:3 2011 pg 335-41

MeSH

Adolescent
Adult
African Americans
Chi-Square Distribution
Child
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Male
Papillomavirus Infections
Papillomavirus Vaccines
Parents
Questionnaires
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Language

eng

PubMed ID

21942167