Using Community Engagement to Develop a Web-Based Intervention for Latinos about the HPV Vaccine

Abstract

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is pervasive among sexually active women and men, and Hispanic women are at particularly high risk as they have higher rates of invasive cervical cancer compared to other racial or ethnic groups in the United States. There is a need for interventions to increase HPV vaccination among this high-risk population. This study investigated how to modify a previously developed web-based intervention that provided individually tailored information about HPV to improve its use among the Latino population. A community-oriented modification approach incorporated feedback from a community advisory committee, and focus groups among the Latino population, to modify the intervention. Several themes emerged including a need for basic information about HPV and HPV vaccination, changes to make the intervention appear less clinical, and incorporation of information addressing barriers specific to the Latino community. This work was done in preparation for a randomized trial to assess the impact of this modified intervention on HPV vaccination attitudes and uptake among Latino young adults and parents of adolescents. If effective, our intervention could be a resource for reducing HPV vaccination concerns, improving immunization rates, and educating Latinos about HPV and the HPV vaccine outside of the time boundaries of the traditional clinical encounter.