Abstract B069: Designing a Hispanic/Latino community-driven HPV vaccine and HPV-related cancer awareness campaign for young adults and youth in Los Angeles County
Authors: Verganza Samantha , Escobedo Patricia , Barahona Rosa , Baezconde-Garbanati Lourdes 
Published: September 2024

Background: In Los Angeles, HPV vaccination is lowest among Hispanic/Latino (HL) youth, young adults, and HL adolescent girls of immigrant parents, despite HPV vaccination preventing more than 90% of cancers attributed to HPV infection. This study aims to address gaps in the HPV vaccine and HPV-related cancer awareness through community-driven exploration of multimedia sources and cultural tailoring of the Es Tiempo Campaign to HPV vaccine initiation materials. Methods: A mixed-methods design was used, combining quantitative surveys, qualitative listening sessions and focus groups. In May 2024, five youth between 14 and 17 years of age and seven young adults between 18 and 30 years of age who self-identified as HL were recruited through community outreach in Los Angeles. The twelve participants were surveyed and participated in two 90-minute Listening Sessions (grouped by age) to gather formative data. During the LS, participants reviewed culturally tailored designs of media materials (e.g., banners, posters) focused on HPV vaccination initiation. Focus groups with another twelve young adults gathered confirmative data. Descriptive statistics assessed demographics. Coding of transcripts identified themes. Results: Preliminary results from the Listening Sessions found that youth and young adults had similarities and differences in their preferences for receiving health information. Both age groups preferred health materials with visually appealing images and materials that could be easily found and distributed. All relied on health information provided by their providers including informational pamphlets, texts, and emails. Differences were found in whom they sought health advice from. Youths sought health advice from parents or family, while young adults did this too but only after reviewing health information first online. Both age groups identified social media, such as Instagram and TikTok as key sources for health information. However, neither group wanted to receive health information through Facebook or Twitter. Young adults wanted images showing HL patient-provider interactions, while youth preferred images of family or community. Youth liked cartoon-style images, but young adults wanted images of real HL people. For cultural tailoring, youth liked images that reflected a traditional colorful border. Young adults found this border was not representative of diverse HL communities. Conclusion: Community-driven research identified gaps in tailoring and guiding multimedia dissemination efforts for HPV vaccine initiation campaign materials among youth and young adults in the HL community. HL youth and young adults, as community informants, provided advice on multimedia platforms, design appropriateness, and comprehension. Community participation is essential to identify and create culturally competent designs at an appropriate literacy/language and age level and to produce materials for educational campaigns that are not only culturally specific but also visually appealing to the target population.

Citation Format: Samantha Verganza, Patricia Escobedo, Rosa Barahona, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati. Designing a Hispanic/Latino community-driven HPV vaccine and HPV-related cancer awareness campaign for young adults and youth in Los Angeles County [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B069.