HPV vaccine: Influencing peer recommendations through information provision at no-cost vaccine clinics

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection among people ages 15-24 years in the U.S. However, many individuals remain unvaccinated against HPV. Recommendations from friends and family have been shown to improve vaccine uptake and should be encouraged. This study aimed to determine if the provision of vaccine-related information would change the likelihood of recommending the HPV vaccine to their peers. Furthermore, we examined characteristics associated with a positive change. Participants were recruited at two no-cost vaccine clinics on a university campus in September and October 2024. Through a one-time, voluntary, online survey, participants were asked how likely they were to recommend the HPV vaccine to a family or friend on a scale from 1 (very unlikely) to 5 (very likely). This question was repeated after they were provided with a list of diseases that are prevented by the HPV vaccine. We conducted dependent samples t-tests to determine if there was a change in recommendation scores before and after information provision. We also conducted bivariate (chi-square and independent t-tests) and multivariable (logistic regression) analyses to examine factors associated with a positive change versus no/negative change. The final sample (n = 556) were majority White (n = 310, 55.8%), female (n = 331, 59.5%), and college students (n = 480, 86.5%). The average post-information provision (Mean = 4.21; SD = 0.95) recommendation score was significantly higher than the pre-information provision (Mean = 3.87; SD = 1.031) recommendation score (t = -11.37; p < 0.001). In multivariable logistic regression analyses, there was a statistically significant positive change in recommendation score with younger age (aOR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.95-1.00) and lower vaccine confidence (aOR = 0.50, 95%CI = 0.36-0.68). This indicates that targeted interventions to improve awareness of diseases prevented by the HPV vaccine could be particularly effective in populations that are younger or have lower vaccine confidence.