Applying the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model to Predict Parent/Guardians' HPV Vaccination Intentions, Initiation, and Series Completion for Their Adolescent Children
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Abstract
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. HPV infection is most prevalent among 15–24 year olds. Persistent HPV infection causes anal, cervical, oral, penile, vaginal, and/or vulvar cancers as well as genital warts and recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. While there is no cure for HPV, three HPV vaccines are available that protect against the most burdensome strains of HPV. The United States Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends HPV vaccination for males and females at ages 11 or 12 years. However, catch-up vaccination is recommended for females ages 13–26 years and for males ages 13–21 years who have not received any doses of the HPV vaccine. The ACIP also recommends catch-up HPV vaccination for men who have had sex with other men as well as for men with compromised immune systems through age 26. Currently, HPV vaccination rates for 13–15 year old adolescent males (6.9% in 2012) and adolescent females (16.6% in 2008) fall significantly below the 80% national Healthy People 2020 target. In light of the fact that parents/guardians of adolescents generally make immunization decisions for their children, research is needed to assess parents/guardians’ HPV vaccination knowledge and motivation, as well as skills for getting their adolescent children HPV vaccinated. Testing health behavior theory is integral to public health practice because it can help to explain why humans do or do not engage in specific health behaviors such as HPV vaccination (Glanz, Rimer & Viswanath, 2008). Theory assists public health practitioners with planning, implementing, and evaluating interventions aimed to promote healthy behavior change or maintenance (National Cancer Institute, 2005). This study will utilize the information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model as its theoretical framework (See Figure 1). The IMB is a parsimonious model that has been effective for predicting various behaviors including condom use, fruit and vegetable uptake, antiretroviral treatment adherence, diabetes self-care, and breast self-examination, among others. The IMB has also been applied to HPV vaccination within young adult populations. This study will extend upon previous work through the development of a psychometrically valid and reliable tool that may be used in the design and evaluation of an IMB-based HPV vaccination intervention targeting parents/guardians of adolescent-age children. The purpose of this project is to test the predictive validity of the IMB model in predicting parent/guardian’s intentions to vaccinate their adolescent children. Further, this study will assess whether the IMB constructs predict HPV vaccine initiation and series completion among the parent/guardians’ adolescent children. A non-experimental, cross-sectional study design will be employed in this study. The sample will be comprised of parents/guardians of adolescents (e.g., ages 11–17 years) who have received services from the Wilmington Health Access for Teens (WHAT) clinic between August 2016 and June 2017. The findings of this study will help to inform future HPV vaccination interventions at the WHAT clinic.
