Use of conjoint analysis to assess HIV vaccine acceptability: feasibility of an innovation in the assessment of consumer health-care preferences

Abstract

Summary Engaging consumers in prospectively shaping strategies for dissemination of health-care innovations may help to ensure acceptability. We examined the feasibility of using conjoint analysis to assess future HIV vaccine acceptability among three diverse communities: a multiethnic sample in Los Angeles, CA, USA (n = 143); a Thai resident sample in Los Angeles (three groups; n = 27) and an Aboriginal peoples sample in Toronto (n = 13). Efficacy had the greatest impact on acceptability for all three groups, followed by cross-clade protection, side-effects and duration of protection in the Los Angeles sample; side-effects and duration of protection in the Thai-Los Angeles sample; and number of doses and duration of protection in the Aboriginal peoples-Toronto sample. Conjoint analysis provided insights into universal and population-specific preferences among diverse end users of future HIV vaccines, with implications for evidence-informed targeting of dissemination efforts to optimize vaccine uptake.

“Sisters, Mothers, Daughters and Aunties”: HIV Vaccine Acceptability Among African, Caribbean and Other Black Women in Toronto

“…Previous research similarly indicates that HIV vaccine acceptability is not guaranteed, even among populations with elevated rates of HIV diagnoses. 5,6,15 As Black women are a population at disproportionately high risk for HIV, it is important to identify vaccine attributes and other correlates of acceptability among this population in order to guide evidence-informed interventions to support future HIV vaccine uptake.…”

“…Because the attributes are dichotomous, each attribute impact score is mathematically equivalent to the corresponding coefficients in a multiple regression model that fits acceptability scores of the 8 hypothetical vaccines to the 7 attributes included as independent variables. 15 Calculating conjoint analysis impact scores using this method allows some of the flexibility of regression methods, namely, adjustment for possible socio-demographic confounders. We ran two multiple regression models, one that included socio-demographic characteristics that were associated with overall vaccine acceptability at the p<0.05 level, and another including those measures associated at the p<0.1 level.…”

“…14,15 In this method, a hypothetical product is characterized by a set of defining attributes (e.g., efficacy), which can take on varying levels (e.g., 50%, 99%). A series of product scenarios are then created, which define the product by systematically designed combinations of attributes and levels.…”

“…As a decompositional approach, the importance of individual attributes can be determined from the presentation of a multiattribute product, which is more similar to how products are presented to consumers in the real world than a compositional approach based on a series of single-attribute questions. 15 We used conjoint analysis to measure participant preferences among different hypothetical HIV vaccines and to determine the impact of each vaccine attribute on overall vaccine acceptability scores. Participants rated the acceptability of each of 8 hypothetical vaccines on a 7-point Likert scale, from 1=definitely to 7=defi-nitely not accept vaccination.…”

Development of an HIV vaccine attitudes scale to predict HIV vaccine acceptability among vulnerable populations: L.A. VOICES

“…HIV vaccine acceptability was assessed using conjoint analysis [18,24]. Participants rated the acceptability of eight hypothetical HIV vaccines, each described as a bundle of seven dichotomous attributes based on efficacy, side effects, duration of protection, number of doses, route of administration, breadth of protection, and out-of-pocket cost.…”