Psychosocial factors influencing HPV vaccine uptake among female adolescents in Philadelphia, PA

Objective: To determine how psychosocial factors, including knowledge, self-efficacy, and communication, predict intention to receive the HPV vaccination and actual vaccination uptake.Methods: A secondary data analysis of African American adolescent females (n=200) aged 12 to 18 years in Philadelphia, PA who participated in an educational intervention program called ‘HPV Vaccination of Underserved Adolescents and Young Women in Pennsylvania.’ Baseline survey data was used to assess psychosocial factors and intention to receive vaccine. Uptake of HPV vaccination was assessed through linkage to the Philadelphia KIDS immunization registry.Results: In this population of urban adolescents, 44 % had high intention to vaccinate, 36.9% received the first HPV vaccination and 20.7% received both the first and second vaccination out of a three dose series. Self-efficacy and communication with parents and health care providers were associated with intention to vaccinate. Compared to those with low self-efficacy, participants with moderate or high efficacy scores had increased odds of intention to vaccinate (OR=5.01, 95% CI 1.84-13.64 and OR=28.20, 95% 9.48 – 83.86, respectively) and those with moderate to high communication scores have an increased odds for intention to vaccinate compared to those with low communication scores (OR= 3.48, 95% 1.52-7.97 and OR=9.62, 95% 4.04-22.93). Knowledge of the HPV virus and self-efficacy was significantly associated with receiving the first HPV vaccination, whereas only knowledge of the HPV virus was associated with receipt the first and second vaccination. Intention to receive HPV vaccine was not associated with receipt of vaccine.Conclusions: Future health educational interventions directed towards urban adolescents should focus on increasing participant’s self-efficacy to receive the HPV vaccination along with increasing their knowledge of the vaccine itself.M.P.H., Public Health -- Drexel University, 201