Why Do Low-Income Minority Parents Choose Human Papillomavirus Vaccination for Their Daughters?

• Published in: The Journal of pediatrics 2010-10, Vol.157 (4), p.617-622
• Main Authors: Perkins, Rebecca B., MD, MSc, Pierre-Joseph, Natalie, MD, MPH, Marquez, Cecilia, MD, Iloka, Sandra, BA, Clark, Jack A., PhD
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; African Americans - statistics & numerical data; Attitude to Health; Biological and medical sciences; Cervical cancer; Child; Choice Behavior; European Continental Ancestry Group - statistics & numerical data; Female; General aspects; Human papillomavirus; Humans; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Minority Groups - statistics & numerical data; Miscellaneous; Nuclear Family - ethnology; Papillomavirus Vaccines - administration & dosage; Parents; Pediatrics; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Socioeconomic Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vaccination - statistics & numerical data; Viral diseases
• ISSN: 0022-3476; 1097-6833
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2010.04.013

Objective To explore low-income minority parents' attitudes, intentions, and actions with regard to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for their daughters. Study design Semistructured interviews were conducted in English and Spanish with parents of girls aged 11-18 who were attending clinic visits in an urban medical center and a community health center. We assessed intention with formal scales, probed parents' attitudes regarding vaccination with open-ended questions, and reviewed medical records to determine vaccination rates. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative methods. Results Seventy-six parents participated (43% African American, 28% Latino, and 26% Caucasian). Most were mothers, had completed high school, and described themselves as religious; nearly one-half were immigrants. Intention correlated highly with receipt of the vaccine; 91% of parents intended to vaccinate their daughters against HPV, and 89% of the girls received vaccination within 12 months of the interview. Qualitative analysis revealed that most parents focused on the vaccine's potential to prevent cervical cancer. Some parents expressed concerns about unknown side effects and promotion of unsafe sexual practices, but these concerns did not hinder acceptance in most cases. Conclusions The majority of the low-income minority parents surveyed viewed HPV vaccination as a way to protect their daughters from cancer, and thus chose to vaccinate their daughters.