♦ Sturm L, et al. J Adolesc Health.
April 25, 2017, http://bit.ly/2r
Pediatricians can increase the chances
of adolescents receiving an HPV vaccine
if they don’t offer a delay, according to
a new study.
The Academy and Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend HPV vaccine as part of routine
immunization for males and females at
age 11 or 12 years to protect against several types of cancer. However, only about
63% of teen girls and about 50% of boys
start the series, according to the CDC.
To determine the impact of pediatricians’ recommendations on families’
decision to get the vaccine, researchers
reviewed 75 transcripts of audio recordings taken during well-child visits for
11- to 12-year-olds in 2013. The 19 pediatricians
knew they were being recorded but did not know
HPV was the focus of the study.
Researchers found wide variation in approaches
to discussing HPV vaccination that in some cases
included giving mixed messages or inaccurate information, and downplaying the vaccine’s importance compared to other vaccines.
Roughly 29% of the visits resulted in children
getting HPV vaccine on the same day. Doctors
rarely used language showing they assumed the
patient would be vaccinated, but when they did,
it was linked with higher rates of vaccination (73%
with presumptive language compared to 22% when
there was no presumptive language).
Doctors offered to delay the vaccine 65% of the
time, often before parents expressed any concerns.
Roughly 6% of patients received the vaccine the
same day if a delay was offered compared to 82%
if no delay was mentioned.
“Some pediatricians may cope with their expec-
tation of parental hesitancy about, or resistance
to, HPV vaccination by gradually introducing the
topic to parents,” authors wrote. “We suggest that
when pediatricians expect parental hesitancy, they
may actually fuel parental hesitancy and reduce the
likelihood of vaccine acceptance — a self-fulfilling
The strength of the pediatricians’ recommen-
dation and making references to vaccinating their
own children did not appear to play a role in wheth-
er families accepted the vaccine.
by Melissa Jenco • News Content Editor
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Doctors’ presumptive language increases HPV vaccine acceptance
ADHD linked with becoming a teenage parent
♦ Østergaard SD, et al. J Am Acad Child
Adolesc Psychiatry. May 11, 2017, http://bit.
People are more likely to become teenage parents
if they have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD), researchers found.
Previous studies have found links between
ADHD and risky sexual behavior, leading the team
to look at rates and timing of having children.
Researchers studied data on nearly 2.7 million
people born in Denmark from 1960-2001, of
whom 1% had a diagnosis of ADHD.
Compared to those without ADHD, those with
the disorder were more likely to become parents
at ages 12-15 and 16-19. However, those with
ADHD were less likely to ever become parents,
which is consistent with research showing that
mental disorders are associated with a decreased
likelihood of having children.
The findings continued to hold true in the adjusted analysis that took into account variables like
history of mental disorders, education level and
“Since teenage parenthood is associated with a
number of adverse outcomes for both parents and
children, it may be of relevance to target this group
with an intervention program (including sexual education and contraceptive counseling) to reduce
the number of teenage pregnancies,” authors wrote.
When doctors used presumptive language in discussing HPV
vaccines, 73% of patients were vaccinated on the same day.
Booster seats provide
protection for older children
♦ Anderson M, et al. Am J Prev Med. April 17,
Car booster seats keep children as old as 12 safer
than seat belts alone, according to a new study.
Roughly 242 children ages 8-12 years died in
vehicle crashes in 2015, making crashes the leading
cause of injury deaths for that age group.
To ensure seat belts are positioned properly, the
Academy and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggest using boosters for children
up to age 12 depending on the child’s height and
weight, but no state requires them to be used after
age 8, according to the study. In 2013, roughly
10% of 8- to 12-year-olds used boosters, up from
5% in 2009.
Researchers analyzed crash data from the Washington State Department of Transportation from
2002-’ 15. Of the 79,859 children ages 8-12 involved in vehicle crashes, 7.4% were sitting in a
booster seat and the rest were using a seat belt only.
Among children using a booster seat, 11% were
injured compared to 15% of those using a seat
belt. Roughly 0.3% of each group sustained an
incapacitating or fatal injury.
Booster seat use was associated with a 29% reduction in injuries in the unadjusted models and
a 19% reduction in injuries in the adjusted models
that took into account the vehicle type and seating
position. Neither model showed the booster seat
provided more protection from incapacitating/fa-tal injuries than the seat belt alone.
“The present results suggest that the adoption of
laws encouraging the use of booster seats among
children aged 8-12 years could lead to fewer injuries,” authors wrote.