Education Intervention Improves Confidence in Human Papillomavirus Vaccination

A recent study showed that providing information on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination improved vaccination confidence, attitudes, and beliefs in a cohort of non-Hispanic Black mothers. Results of the study were reported in the journal Oncology Nursing Forum.

“Prevention of HPV infection is of paramount importance among the non-Hispanic Black population because they have the highest cancer mortality rate,” the study investigators explained in their report.

Following a review of the literature to identify benefits and challenges related to HPV vaccination in this population, the researchers conducted a randomized, controlled trial. The trial evaluated an intervention involving education on HPV vaccination for non-Hispanic Black mothers in the US who had children aged 9 to 17 years who had not yet been vaccinated against HPV.

The mothers were randomly assigned 1:1 to either an experimental group or a control group. The experimental group attended 2 educational sessions on HPV vaccination, and the control group attended 2 educational sessions on healthy nutrition.

HPV vaccination confidence, attitudes, and beliefs were assessed just after completing the intervention and 4 weeks later. The Carolina Human Papillomavirus Immunization Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (CHIAS) was used for evaluating attitudes and beliefs, and the Vaccination Confidence Scale (VCS) was used for measuring vaccination confidence.

Of 73 participants who started the study, complete demographic data were obtained for 70 and 63 completed the study (37 in the experimental group and 26 in the control group). Participants resided in Texas (38); Virginia (8); Georgia and New York (7 each); California (6); and Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Mississippi (1 each). Annual incomes were more than $80,000 (26 participants), $60,000 to $80,000 (11 participants), and $40,000 to $59,000 (12 participants). A total of 58 participants had been up to date with their children’s vaccinations.

Following interventions, the experimental group showed a higher degree of positive attitudes and beliefs toward HPV vaccination than the control group did (P =.002). The experimental group also showed more vaccination confidence than the control group (P =.049).

Post hoc analyses also showed higher mean CHIAS scores for the experimental group than the control group, both immediately after the intervention (P =.001) and 4 weeks later (P =.024). Post hoc analyses of VCS scores revealed greater vaccination confidence at 4 weeks after the intervention (P =.041) but not immediately after the intervention (P =.14).

The researchers concluded that HPV vaccination education showed benefits in improving vaccination confidence, attitudes, and beliefs regarding HPV vaccination in this study population. “Nurses can play a significant role in providing more HPV vaccination education intervention studies to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in cervical cancer,” the researchers wrote in their report.

Reference

Dike SN, Cesario SK, Malecha A, Nurse R. An education intervention to increase human papillomavirus vaccination confidence and acceptability: a randomized controlled trial. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2023;50(4):423-436. doi:10.1188/23.ONF.423-436