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Head and Neck Surgery

HPV Vaccination Knowledge and Treatment Decision-making Among Minority Populations

Tuesday, October 3, 2023
8:48 AM - 8:54 AM East Coast USA Time
Location: 201AB

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Matthew E. Lin, BS

    Medical Student
    Keck School of Medicine of USC
    Alhambra, CA, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • TA

    Tobi O. Ayo-Ajibola, BS

    MEDICAL STUDENT
    Keck School of Medicine of USC
    Granite Bay, California, United States

  • Ryan J. Davis, BS

    Medical Student
    Keck School of Medicine of USC
    Irvine, CA, United States

  • cc

    carlos X. castellanos, MHS

    Keck School of Medicine of USC, USA

  • Jonathan D. West, MD

    Resident Physician
    Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
    Los Angeles, CA, United States

    • Senior Author(s)

  • TC

    Tamara N. Chambers, MD

    Associate Professor of Clinical Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
    Keck School of Medicine of USC
    Los Angeles, CA, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • NK

    Niels C. Kokot, MD

    Professor
    Caruso Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
    Los Angeles, California, United States

Disclosure(s):
Matthew E. Lin, BS: No relevant relationships to disclose.
Introduction: Vaccinating adults under 45 against HPV represents an elegant and key intervention to reduce incidence of HPV+ head and neck cancer (HPV). Such an intervention may be especially beneficial to minority populations, who endorse lower vaccination rates and often lack health access and knowledge relative to white counterparts. Thus, we sought to understand knowledge of the HPV vaccine among minorities and understand barriers to vaccination.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey of patients seen at otolaryngology clinics at a public safety-net hospital and an academic tertiary-care hospital. Descriptive statistics and significance testing were used to characterize patient knowledge and barriers to access.

Results: Preliminary 35-patient cohort was primarily Hispanic (68.57%), female (51.43%), without college degree (77.14%). Average age was 46.33 years and uninsured rate was 34.29%. HPV vaccination rate was higher (p=0.085) in children (44.00%) relative to adults (20.59%); interest in vaccination (51.51% vs 25.00%, p=0.040) mirrored this trend. Patients were highly aware of HPV’s sexual transmission (60.00%), cervical cancer-causing ability (74.29%), and the vaccine’s protective effect against HPV (71.43%), but were less aware of HPV causing HNC (45.71%) and the vaccine’s protective effect against HNC (34.29%). The vaccine’s effectiveness and health benefits were cited as the most popular reasons why children (11.43% and 17.14%) and adults (17.14% and 37.14%) were vaccinated. Lack of awareness of and lack of knowledge about the HPV vaccine were why patients (17.14% and 14.29%) and their children (14.29% and 25.71%) commonly did not receive vaccination. Apathy towards contracting HPV was commonly cited among unvaccinated adults (17.14%) and children (14.29%) who were not interested in vaccination.

Conclusions: Knowledge of HPV’s HNC-causing ability is low among minorities; increasing awareness of HPV’s adverse effects and HPV vaccination will improve vaccination rates. Continued patient recruitment will strengthen our results and allow for powered significance testing and comparison to white controls.