Unmet Social Needs and HPV Vaccination Among Parents and Children Residing in a Major Metropolitan Area

Although childhood HPV vaccination reduces adult cancer risk, national uptake remains suboptimal. This study examined associations between unmet social needs and HPV vaccine uptake in a metropolitan area.

Parents (N = 412) with children aged 10-17 were recruited to complete a survey through Meta advertisements and at a health fair.

Overall, 54.9% of children were fully vaccinated, 81.0% of parents had initiated vaccination, and 54% of parents reported > = 1 unmet social need. In an income-adjusted model, under-vaccinated children were more likely to be younger (OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.25, 3.07), and have parents who were non-white (OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.11, 2.71), non-Hispanic (OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.15, 3.35), and unvaccinated (OR = 3.53, 95% CI = 2.00, 6.22). The association between housing instability and childhood under-vaccination was overshadowed by the strong effect of parental vaccination status. In a healthcare access-, income-, and sex-adjusted model, parents were 25% more likely to be unvaccinated with each additional unmet social need experienced (OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.49).

Unvaccinated parents were more likely to have under-vaccinated children and reported more unmet social needs. Unmet social needs may help identify families experiencing structural vulnerabilities associated with HPV under-vaccination.