Abstract
BackgroundTo assess the demographic and attitudinal factors associated with HPV vaccine initiation and completion among 18–26 year old women in Utah.MethodBetween January 2013 and December 2013, we surveyed 325 women from the University of Utah Community Clinics about their HPV vaccine related beliefs and behaviors. Odds ratios (ORs) were estimated from logistic regression models to identify variables related to HPV vaccine initiation and series completion.ResultsOf the 325 participants, 204 (62.8 %) had initiated the vaccine and 159 (48.9 %) had completed the 3-dose series. The variables associated with HPV vaccine initiation were lower age (OR = 1.18 per year); being unmarried (OR = 3.62); not practicing organized religion (OR = 2.40); knowing how HPV spreads (OR = 6.29); knowing the connection between HPV and cervical cancer (OR = 3.90); a belief in the importance of preventive vaccination (OR = 2.45 per scale unit); strength of doctor recommendation (OR = 1.86 per scale unit); and whether a doctor’s recommendation was influential (OR = 1.70 per scale unit). These variables were also significantly associated with HPV vaccine completion.ConclusionThe implications of these findings may help inform policies and interventions focused on increasing HPV vaccination rates among young women. For example, without this information, programs might focus on HPV awareness; however, the results of this study illustrate that awareness is already high (near saturation) in target populations and other factors, such as strong and consistent physician recommendations, are more pivotal in increasing likelihood of vaccination. Additionally, our findings indicate the need for discussions of risk assessment be tailored to the young adult population.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12905-016-0323-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
To assess the demographic and attitudinal factors associated with Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine initiation and completion among 18–26 year old women in Utah
A total of 84 of 993 surveys (8.5 %) from the first wave and 244 of 901 surveys (27.1 %) from the second wave were returned for a total of 328 of 1,983 returned (16.5 %)
The HPV vaccine has been available in the United States for eight years, yet only one third of adolescents have been fully immunized with all three recommended doses, and only one third of older eligible women have received just one dose of the 3dose series [12, 15, 16]
Summary
To assess the demographic and attitudinal factors associated with HPV vaccine initiation and completion among 18–26 year old women in Utah. Human papillomavirus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted infection [2, 3], has been shown to be necessary to cause cervical cancer [4,5,6]. Recognition of this link led to the development of vaccines. The ACIP recommended the HPV vaccination series as a catch-up vaccine for young women age 13–26 years old [12]. These recommendations have been extended to include males. It is hypothesized that with good vaccination coverage, the prevalence of HPV and HPV-associated cancers will decline [5, 12,13,14]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
