title: HPV vaccine information in the blogosphere: how positive and negative blogs influence vaccine-related risk perceptions, attitudes, and behavioral intentions.
abstract: This research examines the impact of exposure to online blogs about the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine on vaccine-related risk perceptions, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. In a controlled experiment (N = 341), college students were exposed to either a negative blog post about the HPV vaccine or a positive one. Compared to the control group, participants who had viewed the negative blog perceived the vaccine as less safe, held more negative attitudes toward the vaccine, and had reduced intentions to receive the vaccine. In contrast, exposure to the positive blog did not alter any vaccine-related risk perceptions, attitudes, or intentions. Implications of the findings for online vaccine risk communication are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-7635, USA. nan@umd.edu
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Nan
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Madden
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D057218:Blogging; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines