Health care provider recommendation, human papillomavirus vaccination, and Race/Ethnicity in the US national immunization survey

Kelly R. Ylitalo, Hedwig Lee, Neil K. Mehta

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

180 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objectives. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection in the United States, yet HPV vaccination rates remain relatively low. We examined racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of health care provider recommendations for HPV vaccination and the association between recommendation and vaccination. Methods. We used the 2009 National Immunization Survey-Teen, a nationally representative cross-section of female adolescents aged 13 to 17 years, to assess provider-verified HPV vaccination (‡ 1 dose) and participant-reported health care provider recommendation for the HPV vaccine. Results. More than half (56.9%) of female adolescents received a recommendation for the HPV vaccine, and adolescents with a recommendation were almost 5 times as likely to receive a vaccine (odds ratio = 4.81; 95% confidence interval = 4.01, 5.77) as those without a recommendation. Racial/ethnic minorities were less likely to receive a recommendation, but the association between recommendation and vaccination appeared strong for all racial/ethnic groups. Conclusions. Provider recommendations were strongly associated with HPV vaccination. Racial/ethnic minorities and non-Hispanic Whites were equally likely to obtain an HPV vaccine after receiving a recommendation. Vaccine education efforts should target health care providers to increase recommendations, particularly among racial/ethnic minority populations.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)164-169
Number of pages6
JournalAmerican Journal of Public Health
Volume103
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2013
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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