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Pilot study: health behaviors associated with human papillomavirus vaccine acceptance among adolescents
Carolyn J Heckman1, Carolyn Y Fang, Ignacio Jayo
1Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Background:
Despite approval of a vaccine found to be very effective in preventing human papillomavirus infection and related cancers, many young people have not yet been vaccinated. Because health behaviors tend to co-occur, the purpose of the current study was to examine relationships among human papillomavirus vaccine uptake and other health behaviors among adolescents.
Methods:
Fifty-nine high school students completed a paper-and-pencil pilot survey regarding human papillomavirus vaccine knowledge and attitudes as well as human papillomavirus vaccination and other health behaviors.
Results:
The authors found that human papillomavirus vaccination was significantly associated with health-promoting behaviors among girls (eg, not smoking, P = .02), whereas vaccination willingness was associated with health risk behaviors among boys (eg, higher sugar diet, P = .03).
Conclusions:
Effective interventions to promote human papillomavirus vaccination among adolescents may benefit from a simultaneous focus on multiple health behaviors and/or health in general. Interventions tailored by gender may also be beneficial.
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