Abstract A52: Sociodemographic predictors of HPV and HPV vaccine knowledge and awareness among Americans who use the Internet as their primary source of health information
Authors: Osazuwa-Peters Nosayaba , Tobo Betelihem B. , Gordon Rebecca M. , Boakye Eric Adjei 
Published: May 2016

Background: There is a growing need to provide digital access to accurate and up-to-date health information as millions of Americans now consider the internet their primary source of health information. Information on sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and the HPV vaccine, is a health topic that receives a lot of attention among internet users. HPV is the most common STI in the United States and globally, and some oncogenic strains of the virus are causally linked to several anogenital cancers and oropharyngeal cancer. Three HPV vaccines have been licensed for use in preventing 70% to 90% of HPV strains associated with cervical cancer, and other anogenital cancers that affect both sexes. Yet, there are still gaps in HPV knowledge in the general population, and HPV vaccine uptake remains abysmally low, especially among males. There is a dearth of information on sociodemographic predictors of HPV and HPV vaccine knowledge among internet users. We aimed to fill this gap by examining racial and gender disparities in HPV and HPV vaccine awareness among US adults that use the internet as their primary source of health information.

Methods: Data were obtained from the National Cancer Institute's 2014 the Health Information National Trends Survey Cycles 3 and 4 (HINTS; N=6,862), a cross-sectional random-digit-dialed telephone survey of noninstitutionalized adults aged 18 years or older. Excluding respondents who used other sources to seek health information resulted in a final sample size of 3,038 individuals who reported using the internet as their primary source. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression were used to assess racial/ethnic and gender disparities in HPV HPV vaccination awareness.

Results: Approximately 70% of respondents used the internet to seek health information. Nearly 72% of internet users and 39% of non-internet users reported an awareness of HPV and the vaccination. In multivariate analyses, age, gender, race and education were significant predictors of HPV and HPV vaccine awareness. Older adults were less likely to be aware of HPV (OR=0.35; 95% CI: 0.21, 0.58) and the HPV vaccine (OR=0.33; 95% CI: 0.19, 0.59) compared to younger adults. Females were 3.31 (95% CI: 2.41, 4.56) times and 4.26 (95% CI: 3.10, 5.86) times more likely to be aware of HPV and HPV vaccination compared to males, respectively. Non-Hispanic Blacks (OR=0.43; 95% CI: 0.26, 0.69) were less likely to be aware of HPV vaccination than non-Hispanic Whites; but there was no statistically significant difference between non-Hispanic Blacks and non-Hispanic Whites regarding their awareness of HPV. There were no statistical differences between non-Hispanic Whites and Hispanics regarding their knowledge of HPV and the HPV vaccination. The likelihood of being aware of HPV and the HPV vaccine declined steadily across education levels. Individuals without a high school diploma reported the least awareness (OR=0.24; 95% CI: 0.10, 0.62) compared to those with a college degree or higher.

Conclusion: Despite the large number of individuals who use the internet to seek health information, gaps remain in HPV and HPV vaccine awareness among internet users. Also, racial and gender disparities in HPV and HPV vaccine awareness persist even among internet users. Continued education and alternative information dissemination techniques are imperative to improve HPV and HPV vaccine awareness, and to eliminate gender and racial/ethnic disparities.

Citation Format: Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters, Betelihem B. Tobo, Rebecca M. Gordon, Eric Adjei Boakye. Sociodemographic predictors of HPV and HPV vaccine knowledge and awareness among Americans who use the Internet as their primary source of health information. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eighth AACR Conference on The Science of Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; Nov 13-16, 2015; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2016;25(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A52.