Details:

Alternative Title:
BMC Public Health
Publisher's site:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5635-y
Personal Author:
Barnes, Kathrine L. ; VanWormer, Jeffrey J. ; Stokley, Shannon ; Vickers, Elizabeth R. ; McLean, Huong Q. ; ... More +
Barnes, Kathrine L. ; VanWormer, Jeffrey J. ; Stokley, Shannon ; Vickers, Elizabeth R. ; McLean, Huong Q. ; Belongia, Edward A. ; Bendixsen, Casper G. Less -
Description:
Background

Parental attitudes play a key role in their decisions to vaccinate adolescents against the human papillomavirus (HPV). Little is known, however, about the formative experiences that shape parents’ attitudes about the HPV vaccine.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 parents of 11–17 year old adolescents in Wisconsin who changed their HPV vaccine attitudes (per prior surveys) over one year. A modified grounded theory approach was then used to generate primary themes of attitudinal determinants.

Results

Participants were predominately mothers. We identified three major themes that shaped parents’ HPV attitudes: (1) the perceived likelihood of the HPV vaccine preventing cancer, (2) agency in adolescence and gauging their adolescent child’s intent for sexual activity, (3) the credibility of HPV vaccine information sources. General messaging around cancer prevention did not always supersede some parents’ concerns about the vaccine’s perceived link to sexual activity. Parents often viewed their adolescent child’s feelings about the HPV vaccine as a gauge of their (child’s) intent for sexual activity. Interviewees felt a sense of responsibility to educate themselves about the HPV vaccine using multiple sources and particularly looked to their medical provider to filter conflicting information.

Conclusions

More family-specific (vs. disease-prevention) messaging and recommendations may be needed in the clinical environment to sway some parents’ negative attitudes about the HPV vaccine. Future research should explore additional strategies to improve HPV vaccine attitudes, such as situating the vaccine in the context of a monogamous lifestyle that many parents wish to impart to their children.


Subject:
[+]
Attitudes
Human Papillomavirus Vaccine
Interviews
Parents
Research Article

Source:
BMC Public Health. 18.
Pubmed ID:
29907115
Pubmed Central ID:
PMC6003006
Document Type:
Journal Article
Funding:
200-2012-53587/0006/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/
Place as Subject:
Wisconsin
Collection(s):
CDC Public Access
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:833a86402cf5b19c8360a348669c6065f68d83655fae59a75a55697e33876283
File Type:

Supporting Files

• 12889_2018_Article_5635.nxml

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