Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

School

Public Health

Advisor

Yoshihiko Yoshimine

Abstract

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a leading domestic and global sexually transmitted disease. The purpose of this secondary quantitative, cross-sectional study is to investigate if there is an relationship between the rate of oral HPV-oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) and race, exposure to smoking cigarettes (tobacco), risky sexual behavior, and participation in oral sex of male-to-male contact vs. male-to-female contact. The social cognitive theory grounded this study. The University of Alabama at Birmingham cancer database population supplied the study’s sample size of 337 males greater than 18 years of age with a diagnosis of OPSCC. I conducted descriptive analyses using Pearson chi-square and multivariable logistic regression to investigate the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. The results of the descriptive analysis indicate that white males had a higher prevalence of OPSCC compared to African Americans and Hispanics; smoking history had a higher prevalence than never smoked or unknown status; heterosexuals had a higher prevalence than homosexual or bisexual status. Multivariate logistic regression indicated no significant relationships were found between smoking and OPSCC or sexual orientation and OPSCC. The study has considerable social change potential since outreach efforts can target population groups to lower transmittal of HPV to reduce the secondary conditions of HPV-related genital warts and cancer.

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