Message Framing and HPV Vaccination Acceptance among African Americans

描述（由申请人提供）：尽管美国人口的宫颈癌发病率和死亡率总体上有所下降，但在美国，宫颈癌发病率和死亡率存在显著的种族差异。特别是，非裔美国妇女比非西班牙裔白人妇女更容易患宫颈癌并死于宫颈癌。然而，非裔美国人也是对推荐给年轻女性预防宫颈癌的新型人类乳头瘤病毒（HPV）疫苗持最不赞成态度的群体之一。针对符合接种条件的年轻非裔美国妇女的照料者，发展有效的HPV疫苗接种沟通干预措施是非常必要的。先前的研究表明，根据执行建议行为可能获得的收益与不遵循建议可能产生的成本来构建健康信息，可能会系统性地影响信息的功效。尽管对信息框架进行了广泛的研究，但对信息框架对符合疫苗条件的年轻非裔美国妇女的看护人接受HPV疫苗接种的影响知之甚少，以及这些影响在多大程度上可能被看护人对疫苗相关的信念（如感知疫苗的安全性和有效性）所缓和。为了推进信息框架如何用于促进非裔美国人社区接受HPV疫苗接种的科学知识，我们将对150名年龄在9-17岁的符合疫苗条件的年轻非裔美国妇女进行一项基于社区的随机试验，以评估增益与损失框架信息的相对功效。拟议的项目将为设计有针对性的信息提供有用的见解，以提高符合疫苗条件的年轻非洲裔美国妇女的照料者对HPV疫苗接种的接受程度。这项研究还将为一项研究计划奠定基础，该计划旨在发展基于理论的交流干预措施，以促进非裔美国人社区的HPV疫苗接种，最终目标是减少和消除宫颈癌发病率和死亡率的种族差异。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Significant racial disparities exist in the incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer in the US, despite an overall decline in these rates for the population as a whole. In particular, African American women are significantly more likely to get and die from cervical cancer than non-Hispanic White women. African Americans, however, are also among the group that holds the least favorable attitudes toward the new human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine recommended for young women to prevent cervical cancer. There is a tremendous need for developing effective communication interventions about HPV vaccination targeting caretakers of vaccine-eligible young African American women. Previous research indicates that framing a health message in terms of the benefits that may be achieved by performing the recommended behavior versus the costs that may be incurred by not following the recommendation could systematically influence message efficacy. Despite extensive research on message framing, little is known about the effects of message framing on HPV vaccination acceptance among caretakers of vaccine-eligible young African American women and the extent to which these effects may be moderated by the caretakers' vaccine-related beliefs such as perceived vaccine safety and efficacy. To advance scientific knowledge on how message framing can be used to foster HPV vaccination acceptance in African American communities, we will conduct a community-based randomized trial with 150 caretakers of vaccine-eligible young African American women ages 9-17 to assess the relative efficacy of gain- vs. loss-framed messages. The proposed project will provide useful insights into the design of targeted messages to improve HPV vaccination acceptance among caretakers of vaccine-eligible young African American women. This study will also set the stage for a program of research aimed at developing theory-based communication interventions for promoting HPV vaccination in African American communities, with the ultimate goal of reducing and eliminating racial disparities in cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The primary objective of the proposed study is to test the relative efficacy of two communication strategies in promoting HPV vaccination acceptance among caretakers of vaccine-eligible young African American women. If successful, this project will help understand message framing effects in the promotion of HPV vaccination and provide useful insights into the design of targeted messages to improve HPV vaccination acceptance among caretakers of vaccine-eligible young African American women.