Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccination Among Rural African American Primary Caregivers and Daughters
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccination Among Rural African American Primary Caregivers and Daughters
African American women living in the rural South are twice as likely as Caucasian women to
 develop cervical cancer and die of invasive cervical cancer at a higher rate than any other
 racial/ethnic group in the US (1). Reasons for low HPV vaccination rates among rural African
 Americans are not well understood. HPV vaccination compliance is likely influenced by
 barriers to health care access, misinformation regarding vaccinations, religious beliefs
 related to sexual health and behaviors, and mistrust of the medical community (2, 3). Because
 the vaccination of minors requires primary caregiver consent, vaccination commitment and
 compliance is strongly influenced by family beliefs and communication regarding health and
 sexuality. To date, little research has examined the cultural, familial, and intrapersonal
 influences on HPV vaccination compliance among rural African American women. This study will
 address these gaps in the literature and provide data needed to develop effective
 interventions and health promotion materials to encourage HPV vaccination among rural African
 American women.

 From a pool of approximately 800 families who are participating in ongoing longitudinal
 research through the Center for Family Research at the University of Georgia, the
 investigators will recruit 200 rural female African American youth aged 13-17 who have not
 received the HPV vaccine and their primary caregivers (n=200) into an observational,
 prospective study on vaccination commitment and compliance. The investigators hypotheses are
 as follows:

 1. Sociocultural factors that rural African Americans experience, including discrimination,
 previous health care experience, religious beliefs, and community norms regarding HPV
 vaccination and adolescent sexual behavior, will forecast primary caregivers' HPV
 vaccination commitment and compliance for their daughters. The investigators also
 predict that primary caregivers' HPV-related knowledge and attitudes will mediate this
 association.

 2. Sociocultural factors will influence sexual health-related family communication and
 interaction, primary caregivers' and youths' HPV-related attitudes, and HPV vaccination
 commitment and compliance.

 3. Primary caregivers' attitudes, youths' attitudes, and family health communication will
 contribute to youths' and caregivers' vaccination commitment and compliance.

 4. Youths' sexual behavior will influence their attitudes, family health communication, and
 vaccination commitment and compliance.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Rural African American girls aged 13-17

 -  Female parent or primary caregiver of participating daughter

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Girls can not be younger than age 13, or older than 17

 -  The target's female parent or primary caregiver must also live in the same household
 and agree to participate