Barriers and Recommendations Associated With Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Among College Students

Abstract

Many college students are unimmunized against the human papillomavirus (HPV), and college health nurse practitioners (NPs) are in a unique position to provide catch-up vaccination. This is an NP-led quantitative study using a cross-sectional and descriptive survey design to assess perceived HPV vaccine barriers and effective vaccine recommendations among 627 United States college students. The most commonly reported barrier was the lack of a health care provider’s recommendation followed by not knowing where to obtain the vaccine and a lack of self-perceived risks. The majority reported a health care provider’s recommendation as most effective in encouraging them to obtain the vaccine. Males were less likely to be concerned with side effects but more likely to not know where to obtain the vaccine. Participants with a shorter length of residence in the US preferred vaccine recommendations from parents. White participants were more likely to prefer a recommendation from a health care provider compared with Hispanics. The study results inform NP practice by highlighting the unique barriers to HPV immunization in the college population and guiding NPs in making effective vaccine recommendations to college students.