Acceptability of school requirements  for human papillomavirus vaccine.
We characterized parental attitudes regarding school HPV vaccination requirements for adolescent girls. Study participants were 866 parents of 10–18 y-old girls in areas of North Carolina with elevated cervical cancer incidence. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by logistic regression. Approximately half (47%) of parents agreed that laws requiring HPV immunization for school attendance "are a good idea" when opt-out provisions were not mentioned. Far more agreed that "these laws are okay only if parents can opt out if they want to" (84%). Predictors of supporting requirements included believing HPV vaccine is highly effective against cervical cancer (OR = 2.5, 95% CI:1.7–.0) or is more beneficial if provided at an earlier age (OR = 16.1, 95% CI:8.4–1.0). Parents were less likely to agree with vaccine requirements being a good idea if they expressed concerns related to HPV vaccine safety (OR = 0.3, 95% CI:0.1–.5), its recent introduction (OR = 0.3, 95% CI:0.2–.6). Parental acceptance of school requirements appears to depend on perceived HPV vaccine safety and efficacy, understanding of the optimal age for vaccine administration, and inclusion of opt-out provisions.
Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. JenniferS@unc.edu
Jennifer S
JS
Smith
Noel T
NT
Brewer
Yuli
Y
Chang
Nicole
N
Liddon
Sarah
S
Guerry
Erica
E
Pettigrew
Lauri E
LE
Markowitz
Sami L
SL
Gottlieb
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D055815:Young Adult
D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines