title: Awareness and knowledge of Human Papillomavirus (HPV), HPV-related cancers, and HPV vaccines in an uninsured adult clinic population.
abstract: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines offer primary prevention of cervical cancer and protection against other HPV-associated cancers. HPV vaccine coverage in the United States (U.S.) remains low, particularly among older adolescents/young adults, and the uninsured. We assessed awareness and knowledge of HPV disease, HPV-related cancers, and HPV vaccines among working, uninsured adults. Data from the 2014 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 4, Cycle 4) were used as a benchmark. Patients were surveyed in late 2014 at the Volunteers in Medicine free clinic in Duval County, Florida. Surveys contained validated measures of HPV disease and vaccine knowledge; HPV-related cancer knowledge was also assessed. Two-hundred and ninety-six surveys were analyzable with an 84% participation rate. Half (50.3%) of participants had heard of HPV, and 32.1% had heard of the HPV vaccine; in HINTS, these estimates were 63.6% and 62.7%, respectively (both P < 0.0001). In adjusted models, high HPV disease knowledge was associated with white race and increased education; high vaccine knowledge was associated with white race, increased education, and female sex. Recognition of HPV as a causative agent was 43.9% for cervical, 9.1% for anal, and 11.1% for throat cancers. For all HPV-associated cancers, participants had lower knowledge/recognition relative to HINTS. The uninsured, socioeconomically disadvantaged adults we surveyed were unaware of a ubiquitous virus that can cause cancer and the existence of a vaccine to protect against it. These findings point to settings and populations in which initiatives to promote HPV vaccination as a cancer prevention tool remain critical.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Radecki Breitkopf
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.|Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Lila J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Finney Rutten
authors.affiliation: Volunteers in Medicine Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Findley
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Debra J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Patrick M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Albertie
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, Rochester, Minnesota.|Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.affiliation: Hematology/Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida.
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Colón-Otero
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D027383:Papillomaviridae; D030361:Papillomavirus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology*; D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D018426:SEER Program; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D053918:Papillomavirus Vaccines
keywords: Adult; health care disparities; knowledge; oncogenic viruses; papillomavirus vaccines