Abstract
U.S. HPV vaccine uptake remains below the Healthy People 2030 goal of 80% series completion. Parental concerns and misinformation about the efficacy and safety of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine remain, and may be addressed by digital interventions tailored to their concerns. Reported here are results from a small scale randomized trial testing a mobile web app for parents and their adolescent daughters (ages 11–14 years) encouraging HPV vaccination in New Mexico, an ethnically-diverse U.S. state.Methods: A clinic-cluster randomized trial where pediatric clinics (n = 9) were recruited and randomized, and parent-adolescent pairs (n = 82) within clinics received either the Vacteens.org/Vacunadolescente.org mobile web app or Usual and Customary (UC) HPV Vaccination information. Parents completed online surveys at baseline and 3-months. Daughters' HPV vaccine data were collected from the New Mexico State Immunization Information System 1 year post baseline.Results: Three month survey results found Vacteens.org/Vacunadolescente.org parents to have higher positive HPV vaccine beliefs, informed decision making, intent to vaccinate and vaccine confidence outcomes than UC parents. HPV vaccine data found higher first dose HPV vaccination (Pearson χ2 = 6.13, p = 0.013, Vacteens.org/Vacunadolescente.org group 59.4%, UC group 40.6%), and higher HPV vaccination series completion (Pearson χ2 = 6.49, p = 0.011, Vacteens.org/Vacunadolescente.org group 68.4%, UC group 31.6%).Conclusions: The small trial results showed the Vacteens.org/Vacunadolescente.org web app prompted positive vaccine-related attitudes and beliefs, and more HPV vaccination initiation and series completion. Mobile web apps can make decision-making tools for HPV vaccination widely available on digital platforms, reducing vaccine hesitancy, and confusion and increase HPV vaccine uptake.
Highlights
In the U.S uptake of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine remains far below the Healthy People 2030 goal of 80% series completion [1]
The website was programmed as a web app for mobile devices with open non-linear navigation. It had a video introduction by a well-known New Mexican pediatrics physician, a Vaccine FAQ section, and five modules: [1] Get Answers! about HPV and vaccines, risks and side effects of the vaccine, risks of HPV, benefits of HPV vaccination and organizations recommending HPV vaccination; This module addressed the concerns and misinformation parents have about the HPV vaccine
(2) Let’s Talk on the communication process around vaccination, including a video simulation on how to talk with your daughter about HPV vaccination, guidelines for talking to family members and physician about HPV vaccination; This module provides communication examples to be modeled by parents discussing vaccination with their daughters, and suggestions for discussions with other family members and the health care provider
Summary
In the U.S uptake of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine remains far below the Healthy People 2030 goal of 80% series completion [1]. 54.2% of adolescents aged 13–17 were up-to-date for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in 2019 [females 56.8%; males: 51.8% [2]]. In New Mexico, HPV vaccination completion for this adolescent age range remains low (59.8%). While a number of factors may account for this less than desirable vaccine uptake, parental concerns, and misinformation about the efficacy and safety of HPV vaccine remain barriers to reaching public health vaccination goals [1, 2]. Research indicates there is a great deal of [1] confusion and uncertainty about HPV vaccine and [2] concomitant misinformation about HPV vaccine, who it is meant for, and the conditions under which it is maximally effective
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