Using Peer Health Educators to Conduct Community Level Surveillance of HPV Vaccination Status: Findings Among Women Who Live in Medically Underserved Areas of Chicago

Cervical cancer prevention behaviors in young Black women

BACKGROUND

In the United States, Black women have the second highest incidence of cervical cancer (CC) due to high incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV), slow HPV clearance rates, and low receipt of preventive pap smears and vaccines.

OBJECTIVE

A Black Feminist Thought framework was used to examine how the media portrayal of Black women, racial identity, and familial factors impact CC prevention behaviors among young Black women.

DESIGN

Black women enrolled at a large southeastern university consented and participated in an online mixed-methods survey examining facilitators and barriers to CC prevention behaviors. Quantitative items were analyzed via descriptive statistics, and qualitative items were thematically evaluated using an interpretative phenomenological analysis.

METHOD

Black undergraduate women completed an online survey that collected quantitative data on demographic information, CC knowledge, perceived eHealth literacy, and CC prevention behaviors. Participants also responded to seven qualitative items that explored how the media portrayal of Black women, racial identity, and familial factors impact their CC prevention behaviors.

RESULTS

Participants (N = 146) were Black college women aged 18-26 who primarily identified as cisgender, non-Hispanic/Latine/x, and heterosexual. Most participants self-reported as having high e-Health literacy (78.1%, n = 114) but demonstrated inadequate CC knowledge (90.3%, n = 131). All age-eligible participants received pap smears within their lifetime (n = 6), and most received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine (77.5%, n = 86), with the majority reporting series completion. Qualitative findings highlighted participants experiences of oppression co-existed with self-advocacy, primarily in medical settings.

CONCLUSION

Results provide insight for culturally tailored interventions in care settings serving young Black women that may encourage preventive care to reduce the prevalence of CC in later adulthood.

The impact of exposure to HPV related information and injunctive norms on young women's intentions to receive the HPV vaccine in China: A structural equation model based on KAP theory

Background

The HPV vaccination is a crucial line of defensing against cervical cancer. As a result of government support and positive publicity from the majority of media, a craze for HPV vaccination has occurred in China. Besides, the intentions to get the HPV vaccine among women of appropriate age is also influenced by families' and friends' attitudes and perceptions toward HPV vaccine. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate how HPV related information exposure and injunctive norms affect young Chinese women's intentions to receive the HPV vaccine.

Methods

A structural equation model was developed based on KAP theory, and 567 effective questionnaires were collected through an online survey. We used SPSS 26.0 for the reliability and validity analysis and the differential testing of demographic characteristics, and Amos 26.0 for the goodness-of-fit analysis and paths testing of the model.

Results

Our findings showed that (1) intention to receive HPV vaccine differed significantly in age (P = 0.046), educational background (P = 0.001), and occupation (P = 0.004). (2) Exposure to HPV related information positively affected knowledge about HPV (β = 0.316, P < 0.001) and intention to receive HPV vaccine (β = 0.141, P < 0.001). (3) Knowledge about HPV positively affected attitude toward HPV vaccine (β=0.341, P < 0.001), but negatively affected intention to receive HPV vaccine (β = -0.148, P < 0.05), and attitude toward HPV vaccine positively affected intention to receive HPV vaccine (β = 0.594, P < 0.001). (4) Injunctive norms positively affected attitude toward HPV vaccine (β = 0.362, P < 0.001) and intention to receive HPV vaccine (β = 0.420, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Exposure to HPV related information influenced young Chinese women's intentions to receive the HPV vaccine and related knowledge, that is, the more frequently they were exposed to HPV related information, the stronger their intentions to receive the vaccine and the higher their HPV knowledge. Also, the perception and support of HPV vaccination by people around them will further influence their attitudes and intentions to receive the HPV vaccine.

A Select Bibliography of Actions to Promote Vaccine Literacy: A Resource for Health Communication

In this bibliography, the researchers provide an introduction to the available evidence base of actions to promote vaccine literacy. The research team organized interventions to create a tool that can inform health communicators and practitioners seeking a resource focused on strategy and implementation design for actions that support vaccine literacy. This scoping bibliography is honed specifically to respond to the urgency of the current pandemic, when supporting and increasing vaccine literacy offers promise for achieving the critically needed high levels of vaccination. Over the course of the coming months and year, this bibliography will be a dynamic and "living" document hosted and maintained on vaccineliteracy.com.