Background: We investigate the demographic factors associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine-related awareness and knowledge in an emerging (rather than established) Hispanic/Latino population.
Method: We surveyed 119 Spanish-speaking, mostly low-income and immigrant, Hispanic/Latino parents and guardians of adolescents 11 to 17 years old (i.e., eligible to receive the HPV vaccine) about their HPV vaccine-related awareness and knowledge. Data collection took place between August 2013 and October 2013 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Results: Participants had moderately high awareness scores, with more than half the participants reporting having heard of cervical cancer (84.5%), HPV (76.4%), and the HPV vaccine (67.3%). HPV vaccine-related knowledge was low, with fewer than half the participants reporting they knew that most people are infected with HPV (32.7%), that HPV is asymptomatic among women (16.4%), that the HPV vaccine requires more than one dose (33.6%), and that the HPV vaccine is recommended for adolescent girls (47.3%) and boys (35.5%). Combined awareness and knowledge was significantly associated with educational attainment (p = .02) and country of origin (p = .03).
Conclusion: Results demonstrate moderate to high HPV vaccine-related awareness and limited HPV vaccine-related knowledge among Hispanic/Latino parents living in Utah. These findings will inform educational interventions to improve the HPV vaccine-related awareness and knowledge in this vulnerable population.
Keywords: Latino; cervical cancer; child/adolescent health; health promotion.
© 2016 Society for Public Health Education.