Date of Conferral

2017

Degree

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

School

Public Health

Advisor

Peter B. Anderson

Abstract

Although the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and is available for males and females, completion of the 3-shot series in Georgia remains relatively low. The purpose of this study was to examine the predictors of HPV vaccination initiation and completion for male and female adolescents, ages 13 to 17 years old, in Georgia between 2013 and 2015. The theoretical foundation of the study was the structural model of health behavior which is an ecological model. Logistic regression was performed to determine if there was any relationship between the independent variables of parental knowledge, providers' recommendation, and physical access to vaccination sites, and the dependent variables of vaccination initiation and completion while controlling for and separately testing the impact of age, race, and gender. The data sets from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Immunization Survey-Teen from 2013-2015 were used. There was no significant difference in HPV vaccination initiation or completion for any of the 3 years that were analyzed related to parental knowledge, as indicated by a p-value.

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