Black Adolescents Research Articles

A Multipronged, Community-Partnered Intervention (The TALK) to Improve Parent-Adolescent Communication About Sexual Health and Racial Discrimination Among Black Male Adolescents and Young Adults and Their Caregivers: Protocol for a Feasibility and Acceptability Study.

Unsafe sexual behaviors among Black male adolescents and young adults increase their susceptibility to negative health outcomes that widen persistent health disparities. Parent-adolescent relationships and communication can impact Black male adolescents and young adults' sexual health behaviors, but parents and adolescents often lack knowledge and effective tools to improve health outcomes. Culturally tailored sexual health interventions that integrate the intersectionality of race, gender, family, and social influences on sexual health are limited yet needed to reverse these trends. This project aims to develop a nurse-led multipronged intervention, The TALK, which is a parent-centered, adolescent-involved health promotion intervention for Black male adolescents and young adults. This mixed methods study uses a community-engagement approach to develop and pilot a parent-centered eHealth intervention. There are 3 research phases: development, usability for community of interest, and testing for real world usability. First, The TALK development is tested with parents and caregivers by using the dscout platform, a digital platform for virtual ethnographic research used to explore early-stage user experience. Second, we will recruit parent-adolescent dyads for a pretest-posttest survey data collection to examine the usability, acceptability, and preliminary intervention outcomes. This phase focuses on the frequency and quality of parent-adolescent sexual health and racial discrimination communication, improvements in knowledge of HIV testing, improvements in parent-adolescent conversations around racial discrimination, and its impacts on sexual health and improved perceived racial identity among Black adolescents. Third, we will examine the usability of the intervention's web-based modules through promotion in real-world settings of barbershops and beauty salons across North Carolina through signage (with a QR code to scan and access the website). We will measure the usability through website metrics, including page views, average time on page, average session duration, pages per session, bounce rate, and traffic sources. This project was funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and approved by the Duke University School of Nursing institutional review board in September 2022 (Pro00105116) for development with the community. Intervention components were developed in partnership with community partners in the first year. Data collection for phase 1 began in October 2022. Data collection for phase 2 began in July 2023 and ended in January 2024. Data analysis is scheduled for completion by July 2025. The primary and secondary results are expected to be published by January 2026. Culturally tailored interventions that include content on the intersectionality of race, gender, and family and social relationships combined with strategies to improve parent-adolescent communication have promise for promoting sexual health and racial identity among Black male adolescents and young adults. Our findings have the potential to influence intervention design and research for other populations and contribute to broader efforts to reduce health disparities. DERR1-10.2196/67403.

"Let's talk about it": Black youths' perceptions on the development of a school-based social media campaign.

The increase in social media mental health (MH) campaigns provides an opportunity to improve awareness and attitudes toward MH. However, racial disparities remain in these social media campaigns. Black youth who participated in MH social media campaigns reported lower levels of improvement in stigma and help-seeking than their White peers. We employed a youth participatory action research (YPAR) process to expand on a previous community-wide MH social media campaign (A. Thompson et al., 2021), focusing on a Central Midwest community. We studied Black adolescents' perceptions of MH stigma and help-seeking to determine essential features of a culturally responsive MH social media campaign for Black youth. With a lead youth-research collaborator, the research team designed the following two-staged study. The first stage consisted of four semistructured focus group interviews (FGIs) (N = 20), analyzed by using a rapid analysis strategy to obtain results for the development of the campaign. In the second stage, using YPAR's iterative and action-based process, five youth researchers collaborated with the research team on the campaign's design. Following the two stages, the researcher's thematic analysis resulted in three themes: (a) broadening horizons for campaign designers and MH professionals; (b) considering mistrust of schools and school personnel; and (c) diverse experiences, sustainability, and accessibility in a campaign. Findings indicated that while culturally responsive social media campaigns to promote MH can be designed, mistrust of adults in schools is likely to hinder the impact of such campaigns. Implications for school psychology practice and research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Social-Ecological Risk and Protective Factors for Insufficient Sleep in Adolescents: A Nationally Representative Investigation.

Social-Ecological Risk and Protective Factors for Insufficient Sleep in Adolescents: A Nationally Representative Investigation.

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Mental Health Service Use Among Adolescents

The delivery of mental health services to US adolescents has changed significantly in recent years, especially with the increased use of telemental health. More data are needed to understand the implications for racial and ethnic differences in adolescent mental health care use. To examine racial and ethnic differences in mental health service use among US adolescents in the most recent national survey data. This cross-sectional study used 2022 to 2023 US national survey data to estimate racial and ethnic differences in mental health service use through weighted logistic regressions, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and health status. Adolescents participating in the National Survey on Drug Use and Health in 2022 to 2023 were included. Racial and ethnic group. Dichotomous indicators of mental health treatment type included receipt of any mental health visit (medical setting), prescription medication, support group, or peer support specialist or recovery coach service. Treatment settings were assessed with indicators of mental health services received in outpatient, telehealth, school, inpatient, and emergency department settings. The overall sample included a total of 23 541 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years (8351 aged 14-15 years [weighted percentage = 35.1%]; 12 167 male [weighted percentage = 51.1%]; 6057 Hispanic [weighted percentage = 26.0%], 1202 non-Hispanic Asian, Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander [weighted percentage = 6.2%], 3239 non-Hispanic Black [weighted percentage = 13.8%], 10 756 non-Hispanic White [weighted percentage = 49.7%], and 2287 other non-Hispanic race or ethnicity [weighted percentage = 4.3%]), of whom 5994 individuals had experienced a major depressive episode. The model-adjusted percentage of adolescents receiving any mental health visit was 31.7% (95% CI, 30.4%-33.1%) among non-Hispanic White adolescents and was significantly lower among members of racial and ethnic minority groups, ranging from 21.9% (95% CI, 19.5%-24.3%) among non-Hispanic Black adolescents to 25.6% (95% CI, 23.6%-27.6%) among Hispanic adolescents (all P < .001). Significant differences were also seen in prescription medication use and receipt of care in outpatient, school, and telemental health settings. For example, 17.0% (95% CI, 16.0%-18.0%) of non-Hispanic White adolescents received a telemental health visit after adjustment, but this percentage ranged from 8.1% (95% CI, 5.4%-10.8%) among non-Hispanic Asian, Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander adolescents to 12.0% (95% CI, 10.4%-13.6%) among Hispanic adolescents (all P < .001). Few to no racial or ethnic differences were observed in receipt of mental health services from support groups, peer support specialists or recovery coaches, inpatient or residential settings, or emergency departments. Similar patterns were observed among adolescents with past major depressive episodes. In this study, substantial racial and ethnic differences were observed in US adolescent mental health service use after the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in psychotropic medication use and clinical outpatient, school, and telemental health settings. These findings highlight the need to improve mental health access for adolescent members of racial and ethnic minority groups.

Racial and ethnic disparities in obesity trends among US children and adolescents aged 2-19, 2011-2023.

This brief report examined obesity prevalence among US youth from 2011 to 2023 using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. Obesity prevalence significantly increased overall, particularly among non-Hispanic Black children and adolescents. Findings highlighted worsening racial disparities and underscored an urgent need for targeted early childhood obesity prevention efforts.

Exposure to and Impact of Unhealthy Food Marketing on Adolescents and Young Adults: A Narrative Review and Research Agenda.

Consumption of unhealthy food has become a leading cause of premature deaths and preventable illnesses around the world. Research shows that marketing by the companies that produce, distribute, and sell unhealthy foods and beverages is associated with increased consumption of these products. To date, however, limited research has focused on the cumulative exposure and impact of various modes of marketing employed to reach distinct populations. In this narrative review, we summarize 25 years of scientific evidence and findings from 108 empirical studies and 19 systematic and scoping reviews of various forms of unhealthy food marketing to adolescents (aged 13 to 17) and young adults (aged 18 to 25). These are populations often targeted by food advertising, globally. The review offers insights into young people's exposure to unhealthy food marketing, how this exposure and its impacts vary by age, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity, and what is known about the cumulative effects of multi-platform food marketing. Our findings reveal patterns of disproportionate exposure among lower-income and racial/ethnic minority youth, especially Black and Latinx adolescents in the U.S., across different media platforms. Additionally, more than 90% of impact studies in our sample found that exposure to unhealthy food marketing is associated with higher consumption of advertised products, with social media influencer marketing gaining an increasingly prominent role. Despite emerging evidence on multi-platform marketing, cumulative exposure remains insufficiently researched. Based on these findings, we suggest paths for future research to reduce the harmful impact of marketing unhealthy food and beverages to young people.

PAPEL DE LA ESCUELA EN EL COMBATE AL RACISMO​

Abstract The purpose of this article was to reflect on the role of schools in the fight against racism in the classroom. Racism is an organized form of discrimination embedded in schools. Educational institutions reinforce the racist social imaginary by replicating stereotypes and restricted expectations about the capabilities and potential of the black community, directly affecting the formation of young people. In this sense, it is necessary for this to change so that black adolescents understand that Brazil was largely shaped by black people, who were and continue to be marginalized and inferiorized by society. So one cannot speak of deconstruction without addressing the importance of continuous training of educators, so that they can effectively confront acts of racism and implement options that seek to value and respect black people with their cultures. In conclusion, racism perpetuates the permanence of black individuals in inferior positions, restricting their possibilities of obtaining leadership roles and prestige in society. For this reason, racism cannot continue to be reinforced in schools, since it can generate negative results in the mental health of black students. Palavras-chave: Racism, education, teachers, school.

Prescriptions for Obesity Medications Among Adolescents Aged 12-17 Years with Obesity - United States, 2018-2023.

Obesity affects approximately one in five U.S. adolescents. Although an increasing number of medications are approved for adolescent obesity as an adjunct to health behavior and lifestyle treatment, national data on the prevalence and correlates of obesity medication prescribing for adolescents are sparse. Ambulatory electronic medical record data were analyzed to assess trends in the proportion of U.S. adolescents aged 12-17 years with obesity (body mass index ≥95th percentile) who were prescribed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) -approved obesity medications during 2018-2023. Log-binomial models were used to estimate characteristics of adolescents associated with receiving an obesity medication prescription in 2023. The proportion of U.S. adolescents who were prescribed obesity medications increased substantially in 2023 (by approximately 300% compared with 2020), the year after FDA expanded its approval of two obesity medications to include adolescents and after publication of the 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics clinical practice guideline. Despite this substantial relative increase, 0.5% of adolescents with obesity were prescribed an obesity medication in 2023, with a majority (83%) of prescriptions received by adolescents with severe obesity. Semaglutide (Wegovy, indicated for persons aged ≥12 years with obesity), and phentermine or phentermine-topiramate were most commonly prescribed. Prescribing prevalence was higher among girls than among boys (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR]=2.05), among adolescents aged 15-17 years than among those aged 12-14 years (aPR=2.24), and among those with severe (class 2 or class 3) obesity than among those with class 1 obesity (aPR=4.03 and 12.78, respectively). Prescribing prevalence was lower among Black or African American adolescents than among White adolescents (aPR=0.61). Continued monitoring of the use of these medications could help guide strategies to ensure that all adolescents with obesity have access to evidence-based obesity treatment, including medications and health behavior and lifestyle interventions.

Young, purposed, and Black: Understanding purpose in low‐income, urban‐residing Black adolescents

Part of the identity‐formation process in adolescence includes acquiring a purpose. Although purpose is developmentally adaptive, it may be particularly valuable for Black adolescents who are navigating the complexities of development in high‐stress, under‐resourced environments. However, little is known about the individual and contextual factors associated with purpose among Black, urban‐residing youth from low‐income communities. This study uses multivariate regression to identify correlates of purpose in a sample of 132 Black adolescents (ages 14–18) living and attending school in a low‐income, urban community. Study findings suggest that conscientiousness was positively associated with purpose at the individual level. Additionally, students who reported high motivation were more likely to indicate having a purpose. Related to contextual factors, students who felt they mattered to an adult in their school reported a higher sense of purpose. Contrary to expectations, students who felt their neighborhoods had less social capital reported a greater sense of purpose. This study aligns with a phenomenological understanding of identity development for Black youth and supports a greater understanding of positive development among Black low‐income youth in urban neighborhoods.

The consequences of community exposure to firearm homicide for adolescent substance use.

The consequences of community exposure to firearm homicide for adolescent substance use.

Tackling Recurrent Pregnancy in Adolescents Through Postpartum Contraception Counseling [ID 1487

INTRODUCTION: Postpartum contraceptive (PPC) choices are known to affect recurrent pregnancy rates. We examine the effect of PPC choices in adolescents on recurrent pregnancy rates. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of delivering adolescents in a single health system between May 1, 2013, and April 30, 2023. Adolescents (age 10–17) delivering after 20 weeks were included. Patients missing PPC data were excluded. Demographic and pregnancy-related variables and PPC choice were abstracted from the electronic medical record. Exposure of interest was PPC: long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) (intrauterine device [IUD], Nexplanon), hormonal (HC: combined hormonal methods, depo injections, and progesterone-only pills), and nonhormonal (NHC: condoms, abstinence, none). Primary outcome was recurrent pregnancy before age 18 (RAP). Secondary outcomes include short interpregnancy interval (SIP), median interpregnancy interval (MIPI), and MIPI under 18. Bivariate statistics were used for data analysis. Regression models controlled for confounders. RESULTS: Of 395 patients with contraception data, only race/ethnicity correlated with PPC choice. Black adolescents selected HC over LARC over NHC (P=.009). Latinx adolescents selected NHC over LARC over HC (P=.006). No other demographic, obstetric, or intrapartum factors correlated with PPC choice. Overall, SIP was less common among LARC users (23.8% versus HC: 79.4% versus NHC: 66.7%; P&lt;.001), with longer MIPI among LARC users (32.5 months) versus HC (24.0) versus NHC (32.0) (P=.007). Individuals experiencing RAP (n=61, 15%) had no differences between PPC methods. However, PPC choice affected MIPI among RAP patients (LARC, 21.0 months; HC, 10.5 months; NHC, 14.5 months) (P&lt;.001). After controlling for race/ethnicity, RAP was not associated with PPC choice. Compared to LARC, HC users were 17.7-fold more likely to experience SIP (95% CI, 2.86, 109), with 9.3-month shorter MIPI (95% CI, −16.0, −2.69). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Pregnant adolescents choosing postpartum LARC experienced fewer SIPs and longer MIPIs. Given RAP implications, LARC should be recommended post-delivery. Further research is needed to improve PPC counseling and identify barriers to LARC use.

For the good of all: Differential item functioning in the Altruism Scale (child) among Black adolescents

Quality measures of prosocial behavior, such as altruism, are key to understanding and supporting positive developmental trajectories among youth. For altruistic behavior, quality measurement requires further consideration of adolescents’ social identities, including gender, adolescent stage, and race. To build validity evidence needed to compare scores between groups of Black adolescents, we investigated differential item functioning (DIF) in a popular measure of altruism across gender and age – the Altruism Scale – Child (AS-C). We found evidence of negligible DIF across gender and non-negligible DIF across adolescent stages in the AS-C. We discuss racial-gender role adherence and socialization, as well as age-appropriate measurement as necessary considerations to conceptualize and measure Black adolescents’ altruism. Given the dearth of research examining Black adolescent altruism amidst gendered and racialized oppression, exploring measurement invariance using DIF offers evidence for score interpretation to enrich research and interventions supporting Black youth’s positive development.

Perceptions of Professionals of Anti-Black Racism of Crossover Youth in Congregate Care

This article explores the perceptions of family policing (child welfare) and juvenile legal (juvenile justice) systems professionals on Black crossover youth in out-of-home placements and explores how interventions in these systems intersect and align with carceral practices. Through the lens of anti-carceral theory, the article pulls together the interplay of anti-Black racism, carceral logic, and carceral expansion in how professionals view system realities of Black crossover youth forcibly separated from their families. Interviews with twelve child welfare, juvenile legal, and court professionals were conducted to understand their perceptions of factors leading to the crossover trajectory, out-of-home placement and other service interventions for crossover youth, and racial disproportionality of Black adolescents. The study describes how professionals acknowledge, justify, or ignore the presence of surveillance, policing, and punishment, embedded in practices intended to service traumatized youth that instead perpetuate systemic racism. Findings uncovered that while professionals acknowledge the overrepresentation of crossover youth across all decision points in family separation and juvenile legal systems, views of individual, and family pathology were noted as causes which underpin carceral thought and social control. Perceptions were akin to a need for continued policing structures that target Black youth. Recommendations for dismantling practices reflecting anti-Black racism and carcerality are offered.

State-level structural racism and sleep disturbances among Black and Latinx adolescents: Findings from the adolescent brain cognitive development study.

Existing research highlights interpersonal ethnic-racial discrimination as a contributing factor to sleep disparities among ethnic-racial minoritized adolescents. However, limited research has examined the impact of structural racism, the root cause of interpersonal discrimination, on sleep disturbances. The current study examined how structural racism within the state where an adolescent resided influenced sleep disturbances among ethnic-racial minoritized adolescents, both conjointly and interactively with their experiences of interpersonal discrimination. Drawing on longitudinal data from Black and non-White Latinx adolescents in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, path analysis was conducted to examine how state-level structural racism predicted sleep disturbances and moderated the association between interpersonal discrimination and sleep disturbances. We further explored how these effects varied by demographic factors of ethnicity-race, immigration status, and family socioeconomic status. Separate analyses were conducted for male and female adolescents. Structural racism directly predicted more sleep disturbances subsequently for male adolescents; structural racism exacerbated the positive association between interpersonal discrimination and female adolescents' sleep disturbances. These effects were more pronounced for non-White Latinx (vs. Black) adolescents, adolescents from immigrant (vs. nonimmigrant) families, and for adolescents with lower (vs. higher) family socioeconomic status. The findings highlight state-level structural racism as a feasible and promising target for systemic change and policy reform to improve the sleep health of ethnic-racial minoritized adolescents and promote health equity. Findings also provided valuable insights in terms of what and for whom future research and intervention efforts should target to mitigate the sleep disturbances linked to structural racism. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Longitudinal study of adolescent stress, critical consciousness and resilience trajectories in the context of structural racism: the RISE Baltimore study protocol

IntroductionSystemic racism exposes Black and Latinx adolescents to a range of traumatic stressors that increase the risk for long-term emotional and behavioural health (EBH) problems. Researchers have theorised that critical consciousness (CC)—awareness of societal inequities and engagement in action to promote social justice—may serve as a protective factor that promotes youth well-being. There are few rigorous longitudinal research studies, however, that examine the development of CC among adolescents, the association over time of CC with EBH and the potential of CC to protect against harmful effects of race-related stress. This longitudinal study, Resilience in a Stressful Era (RISE), addresses these gaps using a mixed methods approach with Black, Latinx and White adolescents in Baltimore.Methods and analysisWe plan to enrol up to 650 Black, Latinx and White adolescents ages 14–19 who reside in Baltimore, Maryland. The recruitment will include outreach through youth-serving organisations, community events, youth networks, social media, snowball sampling and re-contacting adolescents who participated in a prior study (R01HD090022; PI: Mendelson). Participants will complete online questionnaires assessing exposure to pandemic- and race-related stress, CC and EBH twice per year over 4 years as they transition into early adulthood. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach, in-depth interviews exploring the development and impact of CC will be conducted with a subset of participants selected based on their CC scores and, separately, their caregivers. A Youth Advisory Board comprised of adolescents who are representative of our target study population will be developed to provide input on the study and its implementation. Growth mixture modelling and latent variable modelling will be used to analyse quantitative data. Themes identified through qualitative analyses will expand the understanding of quantitative findings.Ethics and disseminationAll study procedures were approved by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Institutional Review Board. Findings will be disseminated through publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at academic conferences. We will also communicate research findings with study participants and disseminate findings to the Baltimore community, such as developing briefs for the Baltimore City Health Department and/or hosting a town hall meeting for Baltimore families.

Historical redlining and criminal offending trajectories from adolescence to adulthood.

Historical redlining and criminal offending trajectories from adolescence to adulthood.

Historic Structural Racism and Perceived Stress in Adolescents.

Historic Structural Racism and Perceived Stress in Adolescents.

Preliminary Assessment of Triglyceride/High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (tg/hdl-c) Ratio among Nigerian Adolescents with Self-Reported Symptoms of Cardiovascular Illness

Summary: The need to identify high risk features of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in indigenous Black African adolescents is urgent now more than ever. In ASCVD, an imunoinflammatory pathology, plaques of lipid origin progressively gather in wall of human blood vessels and partially or completely obscure the lumen.

Protective Factors for Marijuana Use and Suicidal Behavior Among Black LGBQ U.S. High School Students

This study aimed to investigate the association between protective factors, marijuana use, and suicidal behavior among Black LGBQ U.S. adolescents. Methods: A subsample of 991 Black LGBQ adolescents was derived from the 2019 Combined High School YRBSS dataset. Suicidal behavior was measured as suicidal planning and/or previous suicide attempts. Marijuana usage gauged lifetime consumption. The protective factors included sports team participation, physical activity, eating breakfast, hours of sleep, and academic performance. Age and sex were entered as covariates. Multiple imputation by chained equations (MICE) was used to address missing data, and pooled binary logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: Academic performance and hours of sleep were significantly associated with lower odds of suicidal behavior and lifetime marijuana use. Sports team participation was associated with higher odds of lifetime marijuana use. Being female was linked to higher odds of marijuana use, while older age was associated with lower odds. Discussion: For Black LGBQ youth, academic performance and sufficient sleep may function as protective factors. Participating in sports was associated with greater odds of risk behaviors, highlighting the need to assess the experiences of Black LGBQ youth in sports. Implications and Contributions: Our findings inform school programming, policy, and practice by identifying academic support and sleep health as intervention areas.

Abstract 988: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HPV vaccine hesitancy

Abstract Background: A major reason for suboptimal HPV vaccination coverage in the US is parental vaccine hesitancy. The COVID-19 pandemic and the vaccine had an impact on public trust in public health authorities, science, and medicine. The novelty of the disease and concerns over safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine led to several people refusing the vaccine and increasing hesitancy towards other vaccines, including the HPV vaccine. We examined if HPV vaccine hesitancy among parents with unvaccinated children have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the US. Methods: This study used data from the 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 National Immunization Survey - Teen. Hesitancy was defined by responses to the question, “How likely is it that [your teen] will receive HPV shots in the next 12 months?” as “not too likely, ” “not likely at all, ” or “not sure/don't know.” The Fisher exact test with FDR control was applied to identify significant predictors among adolescent’s age, gender, race, healthcare engagement, poverty level, doctor recommendation, geographic region; and mother’s age, marital status, education, number of children under 18, COVID-19 phases (2018-2019 as pre-COVID, and 2022-2023 as post-COVID), and their interactions. Next, logistic regression with forward selection was employed to quantify the effects of these predictors. Results: Analysis included 103, 977 unvaccinated adolescents (i.e., had not received any HPV vaccine doses at the time of the survey) whose parents were classified as vaccine hesitant. All demographic predictors and the COVID-19 timeline significantly influenced HPV vaccine hesitancy based on the two-stage estimation. In adjusted difference-in-difference analyses, overall, parental hesitancy during post-COVID years decreased compared to the pre-COVID years (aOR=0.84; 95% CI 0.79, 0.88). The impact of children's age and race and mother’s age showed consistent and significant changes from pre-COVID to post-COVID years. HPV vaccine hesitancy increased from pre-COVID to post-COVID years among parents of adolescents who were 15 (aOR=1.38; 95% CI 1.28, 1.46), 16 (aOR=1.40; 95% CI 1.31, 1.51) and 17 (aOR=1.52; 95% CI 1.40, 1.63), and among mothers who were over 45 years or older (aOR=1.06; 95% CI 1.01, 1.13). Conversely, HPV vaccine hesitancy of parents of non-Hispanic black adolescents (aOR=0.90; 95% CI 0.83, 0.98) decreased from pre-COVID to post-COVID years. Incorporating COVID-related features significantly enhances the ability to predict hesitancy. Conclusions: HPV vaccine hesitancy among parents of unvaccinated adolescents decreased overall from pre-COVID to post-COVID years. However, hesitancy increased within specific groups, notably among parents of adolescents aged 15 to 17 and mothers aged 45 years and older age. These trends highlight the need for future research to explore the underlying factors driving these differences, enabling more targeted and effective public health interventions. Citation Format: Eric Adjei Boakye, Jun Jin, Mrudula Nair, Dakshu Jindal, Joel Fokom Domgue, Olivia Aspiras, Samantha H. Tam, Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HPV vaccine hesitancy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2025; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2025 Apr 25-30; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2025;85(8_Suppl_1):Abstract nr 988.