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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 26 February 2018

Nop T. Ratanasiripong, Sirinat Sri-Umporn, Duangrat Kathalae, Suda Hanklang and Paul Ratanasiripong

Most cervical cancers are caused by genital human papillomavirus (HPV). However, it can be prevented if females receive an HPV vaccine. Nevertheless, there is limited evidence of…

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Abstract

Purpose

Most cervical cancers are caused by genital human papillomavirus (HPV). However, it can be prevented if females receive an HPV vaccine. Nevertheless, there is limited evidence of HPV vaccination and predictors of intention to obtain the vaccine among young women in Thailand. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-sectional study examined HPV vaccination and factors influencing intention to vaccinate among a convenient sample of college women in Thailand. The data collection was conducted via a self-administered “HPV and HPV vaccine-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors” questionnaire.

Findings

Out of 1,030 participants, 309 (30.0 percent) were aware of HPV and the HPV vaccine. Out of these, 257 participants reported that they had not obtained the vaccine and 18 participants were unsure if they had already obtained the vaccine or not. Only 34 participants confirmed that they had received the vaccine. Among those who were aware of HPV and the HPV vaccine, 56.4 percent of them did not know that most HPV-infected persons do not show any signs or symptoms, and 53.3 percent thought that the vaccine provided protection against other sexually transmitted infections as well. Most had positive attitudes toward vaccination and subjective norms. Among the participants who had not received the vaccine, the intention to obtain the vaccine was predicted by age, knowledge, attitudes toward vaccination, and subjective norms. The reasons for not being vaccinated included the cost of the vaccine, lack of knowledge, and perception of themselves being at low risk.

Originality/value

This study found low HPV vaccination among college women. However, those who had not received the vaccine intended to obtain the vaccine at some point in the future. An HPV vaccination campaign may be well tailored in order to increase the intention to obtain the vaccine which, in turn, may increase the HPV vaccination. Vaccination cost sharing should be discussed among Thai policy makers in order to alleviate the financial burden for women.

Details

Journal of Health Research, vol. 32 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0857-4421

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 June 2016

Keith Richards

The purpose of this paper is to better understand what influences the intentions of college students to receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. HPV is the most common…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to better understand what influences the intentions of college students to receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the USA and cancers related to HPV are on the rise.

Design/methodology/approach

A 2×2 experimental design was used to predict the intentions. Messages were created that manipulated the level of severity and vulnerability to determine which would increase intentions to receive the HPV vaccine. Each of the 278 participants viewed a message that contained one severity message (high or low) and one vulnerability message (high or low).

Findings

Regression was used to determine that elements of the protection motivation theory such as vulnerability and fear, along with norms, and information seeking explained a significant portion of the variance in intent to be vaccinated (R2=0.40, F(4, 268)=44.47, p < 0.001). Norms had the most influence on intention (β=0.42, p < 0.001), next was vulnerability (β=0.21, p < 0.001) then fear (β=0.16, p=0.002), and finally information seeking (β=0.10, p=0.01).

Originality/value

The current college age population did not have the opportunity to be vaccinated early and the recent (2011) recommendation that males get vaccinated makes this research valuable to those designing vaccination messages. The current study shows that norms were the most influential variable in regards to increasing intent to get vaccinated. This means that if the participant believed their friends would support or endorse their intent to get vaccinated they were more likely to say they would follow through and get vaccinated. This finding should be highlighted in any future campaign.

Details

Health Education, vol. 116 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-4283

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 March 2015

Tyson Pankey and Megha Ramaswamy

– The purpose of this paper is to explore incarcerated women's awareness, beliefs, and experiences with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and vaccination.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore incarcerated women's awareness, beliefs, and experiences with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and vaccination.

Design/methodology/approach

Researchers conducted focus groups with 45 incarcerated women in an urban Midwestern US jail to assess how women talked about their Papanicolaou (Pap) test screening and abnormal Pap test follow-up experiences. Some focus group questions specifically assessed individual awareness, beliefs, and experiences with HPV infection and vaccination. Based on these data, the authors described participants’ awareness of HPV, as well as used open coding to ultimately extract themes related to beliefs and experiences with HPV infection and vaccine.

Findings

While all 45 participants reported experiencing an abnormal Pap test event within the last five years, only two-thirds of participants (n=30) reported having heard of the HPV infection. Several themes emerged from the analysis of the data: the women's beliefs about cause and severity of HPV; frustration with age requirements of the vaccine; varied experiences with vaccinations for themselves and their children; the impact of media exposure on knowledge; and desire for more HPV infection and vaccine information.

Originality/value

Incarcerated women's awareness and limited experiences with HPV infection and vaccination may be a barrier to adequate screening and cervical cancer prevention. This study has implications for the development of cervical health education for this high-risk group of women, who are four to five times as likely to have cervical cancer as non-incarcerated women.

Details

International Journal of Prisoner Health, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1744-9200

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 March 2023

Silvia Sommariva, Jason Beckstead, Mahmooda Khaliq, Ellen Daley and Dinorah Martinez Tyson

Effectiveness of message tactics in social marketing projects often varies across groups of individuals, which suggests the importance of tailoring communication approaches to…

Abstract

Purpose

Effectiveness of message tactics in social marketing projects often varies across groups of individuals, which suggests the importance of tailoring communication approaches to maximize the success of promotional strategies. This study aims to contribute in this direction by using an innovative approach to promote targeted human papillomavirus vaccination, applying conjoint analysis to understand parental preferences for social media content features.

Design/methodology/approach

An online purpose-built quantitative survey was administered to a group of parents meeting eligibility criteria. The survey questions were designed based on inputs from formative qualitative research conducted in a previous phase of the study.

Findings

In the overall sample of 285 parents, responses show that image was the most important feature of social media posts overall, followed by source and text. Cluster analysis identified eight segments in the sample based on parental preferences for content features. Significant differences across segments were identified in terms of need for cognition, vaccine hesitancy, parental gender, concerns around side effects, trust in medical providers, information sharing behaviors on social media and information seeking online.

Originality/value

The application of conjoint analysis to promotional content allows to assess which features of the content are most important in persuading different individuals and provide insights on how people process the information, ultimately to inform targeted promotion based on preferences. Conjoint analysis has been widely used in consumer research to explore audience preferences for products or services, but only a few applications of conjoint analysis to the design and testing of promotional content are found in the literature.

Details

Journal of Social Marketing, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-6763

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 May 2018

Beth Sundstrom, Heather M. Brandt, Lisa Gray and Jennifer Young Pierce

Cervical cancer (CxCa) incidence and mortality remain unacceptably high in South Carolina, USA, presenting an ideal opportunity for intervention. To address this need, Cervical…

Abstract

Purpose

Cervical cancer (CxCa) incidence and mortality remain unacceptably high in South Carolina, USA, presenting an ideal opportunity for intervention. To address this need, Cervical Cancer-Free South Carolina developed an academic-community partnership with researchers and students at a public university to design, implement, and evaluate a theory-based CxCa communication campaign, It’s My Time. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The goal of this campaign was to decrease CxCa by increasing human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and appropriate screening. This paper describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a successful theory-based CxCa prevention communication campaign for college women based on formative audience research and targeted messages delivered to audience segments through new and traditional communication channels. The health belief model (HBM) served as a theoretical framework for the campaign throughout development, implementation, and evaluation.

Findings

This campaign demonstrated the effectiveness of the HBM to address CxCa prevention, including HPV vaccine acceptability. The campaign aimed to increase perceptions of susceptibility, which were low, by emphasizing that HPV is a sexually transmitted infection. A community-based grassroots approach to addressing disparities in CxCa prevention increased benefits and decreased barriers. Social media emerged as a particularly appropriate platform to disseminate cues to action. In total, 60 percent of participants who responded to an anonymous web-based survey evaluation indicated that they received the HPV vaccine as a result of campaign messages.

Originality/value

This paper offers practical suggestions to campaign planners about building academic-community partnerships to develop theory-based communication campaigns that include conducting formative research, segmenting target audiences, engaging with young people, and incorporating social media.

Details

Journal of Communication Management, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-254X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 October 2011

Ellen Martin, Naomi Senior, Ammar Abdullah, Janine Brown, Suzanne Collings, Sophie Racktoo, Sarah Walpole, Moez Zeiton and Catherine Heffernan

The aim of this small‐scale focus group study is to explore the impact the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine has on attitudes towards HPV, cervical cancer and sexual risk taking…

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this small‐scale focus group study is to explore the impact the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine has on attitudes towards HPV, cervical cancer and sexual risk taking amongst university students in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants were recruited through advertisements placed on notice boards throughout the campus of the University of Leeds. The study sampled purposively to obtain two groups of ten men and two groups of ten women. A total of 34 people attended the sessions. The missing participants gave no reason for the absence. Those who agreed to take part were aged 19‐24 and were from a range of academic courses. Ethical approval was sought and approved by the Medical School Ethics Committee at the University of Leeds.

Findings

Participants saw HPV as being distinct from genital warts. This led to a duality in their view of the vaccine, which they saw as a cancer vaccine for schoolgirls and as an STI vaccine in relation to people of their own age, and thus believed it would cause sexual complacency among young adults. There was a fear that the HPV vaccine would reinforce gender bias, reinforcing the idea that females are responsible for sexual health. They maintained that mass media campaigns were more effective than sex education for improving sexual health knowledge and practices.

Originality/value

With the exception of chlamydia screening, this age group tends to be ignored in sexual health promotion campaigns. This small‐scale study provides insights that can inform larger studies and help tailor future health education campaigns on HPV for this audience.

Details

Health Education, vol. 111 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-4283

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 July 2015

Lynn Westbrook and Ina Fourie

The purpose of this paper is to present a three-part framework of information engagement for situated gynecological cancers. These particular cancers intertwine with…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a three-part framework of information engagement for situated gynecological cancers. These particular cancers intertwine with medicalization of sexuality and gender power dynamics, situating information behaviors and interactions in women’s socio-health perceptions. Using Kavanagh and Broom’s feminist risk framework, the framework establishes functional and temporal parameters for sense-making and information engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper employs a structured, reiterative literature review with emergent thematic analysis. Nine indices from medicine, information studies, and sociology were searched using combinations of five terms on cervical cancer (CC) and 14 terms on information engagement in the title, abstract, and subject fields. Results were examined on a reiterative basis to identify emergent themes pertaining to knowledge development and information interactions.

Findings

Environmentally, social stigma and gender roles inhibit information seeking; normalizing CC helps integrate medical, moral, and sexual information. Internally, living with the dichotomy between “having” a body and “being” a body requires high-trust information resources that are presented gradually. Actively, choosing to make or cede medical decision-making requires personally relevant information delivered in the form of concrete facts and explanations.

Research limitations/implications

The study covers only one country.

Originality/value

This study’s information framework and suggestions for future research encourage consideration of gender power dynamics, medicalization of sexuality, and autonomy in women’s health information interactions.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 71 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 September 2017

Wesley D. Kufel, Dennis M. Williams and David Jay Weber

Payment for healthcare services in the USA has shifted from fee for service to compensation based on value and quality. The indicators used for payments are a variety of clinical…

Abstract

Purpose

Payment for healthcare services in the USA has shifted from fee for service to compensation based on value and quality. The indicators used for payments are a variety of clinical measures, including administration of vaccines to patients. The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of programs in health systems to improve vaccination rates and patient outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

A search of the literature was conducted to find examples of vaccine programs in US health systems, and also to identify policies to improve immunization rates.

Findings

Successful programs for improving vaccination rates require advocacy and support of leadership, a systematic and multidisciplinary approach, and an evaluation of local resources and capacity. Numerous examples exist of medical, nursing, and pharmacy led programs that improve vaccination rates. The department in charge has relied on the support of other groups to ensure the success.

Social implications

Mandatory vaccination of healthcare personnel (HCP) in the health system has been a growing trend in the USA. Although there has been some resistance to mandatory vaccinations for HCP, the standards and requirements have resulted in improved rates in health systems, which ultimately improve efficiency and protects patients.

Originality/value

This review describes considerations for implementing a successful vaccination program in a health system and provides examples of specific strategies. An overview of mandatory vaccinations for HCP is also described.

Details

International Journal of Health Governance, vol. 22 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-4631

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 May 2023

Rachel X. Peng and Ryan Yang Wang

As public health professionals strive to promote vaccines for inoculation efforts, fervent anti-vaccination movements are marshaling against it. This study is motived by a need…

Abstract

Purpose

As public health professionals strive to promote vaccines for inoculation efforts, fervent anti-vaccination movements are marshaling against it. This study is motived by a need to better understand the online discussion around vaccination. The authors identified the sentiments, emotions and topics of pro- and anti-vaxxers’ tweets, investigated their change since the pandemic started and further examined the associations between these content features and audiences’ engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilizing a snowball sampling method, data were collected from the Twitter accounts of 100 pro-vaxxers (266,680 tweets) and 100 anti-vaxxers (248,425 tweets). The authors are adopting a zero-shot machine learning algorithm with a pre-trained transformer-based model for sentiment analysis and structural topic modeling to extract the topics. And the authors use the hurdle negative binomial model to test the relationships among sentiment/emotion, topics and engagement.

Findings

In general, pro-vaxxers used more positive tones and more emotions of joy in their tweets, while anti-vaxxers utilized more negative terms. The cues of sadness predominantly encourage retweets across the pro- and anti-vaccine corpus, while tweets amplifying the emotion of surprise are more attention-grabbing and getting more likes. Topic modeling of tweets yields the top 15 topics for pro- and anti-vaxxers separately. Among the pro-vaxxers’ tweets, the topics of “Child protection” and “COVID-19 situation” are positively predicting audiences’ engagement. For anti-vaxxers, the topics of “Supporting Trump,” “Injured children,” “COVID-19 situation,” “Media propaganda” and “Community building” are more appealing to audiences.

Originality/value

This study utilizes social media data and a state-of-art machine learning algorithm to generate insights into the development of emotionally appealing content and effective vaccine promotion strategies while combating coronavirus disease 2019 and moving toward a global recovery.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-03-2022-0186

Details

Online Information Review, vol. 48 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1468-4527

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 March 2022

Xuan Cu Le and Thi Thuy Linh Vu

Vaccination is widely conceded as a pivotal measure to achieve community immunization and eradicate COVID-19. The purpose of this paper is to understand vaccination behavior based…

Abstract

Purpose

Vaccination is widely conceded as a pivotal measure to achieve community immunization and eradicate COVID-19. The purpose of this paper is to understand vaccination behavior based on the association between the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and health belief model (HBM).

Design/methodology/approach

A self-administered questionnaire was designed to collect data from 438 participants through social media in Vietnam and later analyzed using SPSS and AMOS to examine the research model.

Findings

The results indicated that attitude toward vaccination is positively influenced by perceived risk and perceived benefits. Additionally, background constructs of TPB (i.e. social norms, attitude and perceived behavioral control) and HBM (i.e. perceived risk, response efficacy, perceived benefits and knowledge about COVID-19) are underlying motivations for individual intention to receive vaccine. Moreover, age is a demographic predictor of vaccination intention. Finally, vaccination intention facilitates COVID-19 vaccination.

Practical implications

The findings will assist health-care bodies and authorities to understand public perceptions, attitude and behaviors and encourage their participation in vaccination campaigns.

Originality/value

To date, this is the first investigation of how disease knowledge and perceived benefits drive vaccination intention in Vietnam. Moreover, this study may be initially successful in adding current health-care behavior literature by combining TPB with HBM. With most studies on vaccination intention at the early stage of COVID-19 outbreak in developed nations, this work provides new insights by testing vaccination behavior in the fourth wave of COVID-19 outbreak and in a developing nation.

Details

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. 72 no. 6/7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9342

Keywords

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