Correlates of HPV Knowledge among Low-income Minority Mothers with a Child 9-17 Years of Age

S. L. Davlin, A. B. Berenson, M. Rahman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

Study Objective: To assess the level of HPV knowledge among low income, minority mothers with a child between the ages of 9-17 y. Design: Women who sought care at a university-based clinic and had at least 1 child aged 9 to 17 years were approached. A total of 638 mothers were recruited. Only those who had heard of HPV were included in the correlation analyses (n = 468). Main Outcome Measures: HPV knowledge was assessed utilizing a self-administered questionnaire consisting of 20 questions. Results: There were differences between those who had heard of HPV and those who had not. More of those who had not heard of HPV were Hispanic (63%), low-income (89%), and did not graduate high school (59%). Of those who had heard of HPV, the majority did not answer 50% of questions correctly. Few knew the vaccine could prevent genital warts (19.7%). Factors independently associated with HPV knowledge included age, personal history of HPV, cervical dysplasia or cervical cancer, acquiring knowledge from ≥2 sources, having known someone with HPV or cervical cancer, having seen a brochure on the vaccine, and having seen an advertisement for the vaccine. Conclusions: Knowledge regarding HPV is low among low-income women with children in the target age range for HPV vaccination. Increased awareness should focus on genital warts and other cancers, since this population has virtually no knowledge of other health outcomes related to HPV infection. Educational programs tailored to this population need to be developed to increase vaccination.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)19-23
Number of pages5
JournalJournal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology
Volume28
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1 2015

Keywords

  • Cross-sectional
  • HPV
  • HPV vaccine
  • Human papillomavirus
  • Knowledge
  • Minority

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology

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