Abstract PO-029: Community coalition and academic need assessment: Our first step for the development of an educational intervention on HPV vaccination targeting school staff during pandemic era in Puerto Rico

Abstract

Introduction: Implementation of school-entry policies for vaccination for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination (HPV-PIVac study) is a five-year prospective study started in 2018 to evaluate the implementation of the HPV vaccine as a requirement for school entry in Puerto Rico. As part of these study efforts, we organized a Community Advisory Board (CAB) whose members are from government and private organizations, coalitions, and community-based organizations working for HPV prevention. As part of the preliminary results of the HPV-PIVac study presented to the CAB, key informant interviews demonstrated the lack of knowledge and the need to train school staff on the HPV vaccine and its school policy. CAB members worked on an educational initiative about vaccines to respond to these barriers, called Puerto Rico Libre de Enfermedades Prevenibles (Puerto Rico Free of Preventable Diseases). As a first step, a needs assessment survey was conducted to identify the most significant topics of interest and need issues about vaccines and the new HPV vaccine school requirement in this population. Methods: In February 2020, CAB members distributed a self-administration survey during the 2019-2020 Education Congress, an event in which teaching and non-teaching staff from the island's private education sector assisted in continuing education training. Data collection was gathered by convenience sampling. The survey collected the following variables: knowledge of the HPV school-entry policy, knowledge of HPV infection and the HPV vaccine, confidence in talking to parents about the HPV vaccine, and information of interest about the HPV vaccine. Results: A total of 76 participants were recruited. The largest number of participants (73%) were teachers, and 19% were school directors. At least 61% of the participants were unaware of the HPV vaccine as a requirement to enter school. We identified an insufficient knowledge of the following items: HPV-related cancers (43%) and HPV vaccine series (32%). Only 21% of school personnel reported been prepared to talk to parents about the HPV vaccine. According to the participants' responses, the top five information about HPV that they were interested in were: (1) Side effects of the vaccine; (2) Effectiveness of the vaccine, (3) Safety of the vaccine; (4) Messages to give to parents; and (5) Information on HPV vaccination policy. Conclusion: Through the need assessment, we were able to identify topics that should be addressed as information about the HPV vaccination series, HPV-associated cancers, HPV vaccine school entry policy, safety and effectiveness of the HPV vaccine. Based on this data, we developed an educational curriculum for the initiative. The collaboration of the different members of the CAB was essential to carry out this first step. Citation Format: VOCES PR Coalition, Josheili S. Llavona, Diana T. Medina Laabes, Omayra Salgado Cruz, JAC-HPV-PIVac PR, Roxana Soto Abreu, Olga L. Diaz Miranda, Marta M. Sánchez Aracil, Vivian Colón-López. Community coalition and academic need assessment: Our first step for the development of an educational intervention on HPV vaccination targeting school staff during pandemic era in Puerto Rico [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-029.