Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Services

Advisor

Sheryl Richard

Abstract

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world and is the known causative agent of many HPV-associated cancers in both males and females. HPV vaccination rates in Canada are significantly lower than other developed countries and this finding is poorly understood as Canadian adolescents have access to free-of-charge HPV vaccines through school-based vaccination programs. This quantitative descriptive study used an online survey to collect data from 992 eligible respondents. This study identified predisposing, enabling, and need factors characterized by the Andersen behavioral model of health services use which facilitate or impede the use of this HPV vaccine program. The study aimed to understand the relationship between health services utilization factors that were associated with parents’ immunizer status (HPV immunizer or HPV nonimmunizer) and what factors were predictive of a parent being an HPV immunizer. Results from descriptive and inferential statistical analysis demonstrated that there was an association between key predisposing, enabling and need factors. Having a primary care health provider was highly predictive of parents being an HPV-immunizer (74; 95% CI 23.6 - 232.4) This is aligned with findings in the literature which indicated that parents are more likely to accept immunizations for their children when directly supported by a primary health care professional. This study identified prioritized opportunities to improve the uptake of the HPV vaccine in the Canadian school-based public vaccine programs. Increasing HPV vaccine uptake may impact social change by improving health outcomes and decreasing the burden of illness of HPV-related infections and cancers.

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