Exploring variation in parental worries about HPV vaccination: a latent-class analysis

Abstract

Background. Prior research has identified diverse worries that parents have about HPV vaccination. We sought to understand how parents prioritize worries and to identify subgroups of parents according to shared patterns of worry. Methods. We surveyed a national sample of 431 U.S. parents of adolescents who reported never having talked to their child's healthcare provider about HPV vaccination. Parents completed a best-worst scaling experiment designed to prioritize 11 common worries about HPV vaccination. The experiment used a balanced incomplete block design to present 11 choice tasks consisting of repeated subsets of worries. We used conditional logistic regression to prioritize worries and latent class models with 1-10 classes to identify subgroups of parents with shared worries. Results. Parents most often worried about long-term side effects of HPV vaccination, which about onethird (36%) ranked as their top worry. Other common top-ranked worries were how new the vaccine is (12%), motives of drug companies (12%), short-term side effects (10%), and that it may be unnecessary (10%). Latent class analyses suggested a relatively large number of distinct worry profiles, with most classes characterized by a worry about long-term side effects in combination with one other worry. Discussion. Our findings suggest that providers should be prepared to address concerns about longterm side effects, as this worry was prioritized across many subgroups of parents. However, to best address worry, a tailored, rather than targeted, communication approach may be needed.

Estimating the size of “anti-vax” and vaccine hesitant populations in the US, UK, and Canada: comparative latent class modeling of vaccine attitudes

“…Momentive’s endpage methodology was used for research on COVID-19 attitudes and behaviors previously. 26 The participation rate, accounting for the number of survey invitations, click-throughs, and completed surveys is 3.5%. Our study was approved by the University of Exeter College of Social Sciences and International Studies Ethics Committee (IRB).…”

“… 24 Other examples of latent class analysis of vaccine attitudes include a small sample (n = 189) study of parental attitudes toward vaccination in a Swiss canton 25 and a larger sample (n = 431) examining parental concerns over HPV vaccination. 26 …”

There’s Much Yet to be Done: Diverse Perspectives on HPV Vaccination

“…46,47 Two additional papers examine issues of risk compensation post-vaccination in the U.S. and in China, respectively. 48,49 Still other articles involve a latent-class analysis of parental worries, 50 adolescents' perspectives on vaccination, 51 college students' lack of awareness of HPV diseases and vaccination, 52 knowledge and attitudes of caregivers of childhood cancer survivors, 53 HCPs' recommendation profiles and perceptions of barriers to vaccination, 54,55 and perspectives on vaccination among boys in Sweden. 56 Finally, articles in this section apply the Precaution Adoption Process Model to a study of parental vaccine hesitancy, 57 examine preferences for a vaccine-related mobile health tool among young men who have sex with men, 58 and report on the association between vaccination history in women and the HPV vaccine status of their 11-14-y-old children.…”

Real-world safety profile of the 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine: A study in Zhejiang, China from 2019 to 2021

“… 6 Recently, the safety issue was regarded as a primary concern in surveys carried out from parents about HPV vaccination. 7 , 8 According to a systematic review of HPV vaccination in Europe, the most common patient concerns prior to vaccination were about vaccine safety. 9 Moreover, the Nordic Cochrane Center criticized approaches to handling the safety assessment of HPV vaccination by the European Medicines Agency.…”