The effects of information framing on intentions to vaccinate against human papilloma virus.

B28

In June 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a vaccine to prevent human papilloma virus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the United States and the leading cause of cervical cancer. Because the vaccine was approved for females as young as 9, its success depends largely on parents' and individuals' willingness to accept vaccination. It is unknown whether attitudes toward vaccination will be influenced by the way the vaccine is portrayed in the media or in public debate. The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of information framing on beliefs of disease susceptibility and intentions to vaccinate self or female children, if appropriate. Participants read one of three short descriptive paragraphs about the vaccine, each of which emphasized a different aspect of the vaccine: the vaccine protects against cervical cancer; the vaccine protects against cervical cancer and an STI; the vaccine protects against cervical cancer and an STI and may or may not lead to increased sexual promiscuity among the vaccinated. Participants were then asked about their intentions to vaccinate under two conditions: if they had to pay for the vaccine; and if the vaccine were provided at little or no cost. One participant per household was randomly selected from a web-enabled research panel designed to be representative of the US population. Households are provided with free hardware and Internet access if necessary. Survey items were included as a one-time module in a monthly survey. Participants were randomized to read one descriptive paragraph before indicating their intentions toward vaccination. Main effects of the framing manipulation were determined using ANOVA. 635 adults completed the study questionnaire (49% male; mean age= 47.6). The survey response rate was 31%. Although more than half (56%) had heard of HPV and 42% had heard about a vaccine for HPV, 80% indicated that they had never talked to a health care provider about HPV. 56% reported that they had seen or heard news or ads about HPV in the past week. Women who read that the vaccine protects only against cervical cancer had significantly higher intentions to vaccinate themselves when the vaccine was available at little or no cost compared to women who read alternate versions of the descriptive paragraph (F=5.74, p=0.004). Intentions to vaccinate female children were mixed, although this could be attributed to insufficient power to detect significant differences. Despite high levels of exposure to and awareness of the HPV vaccine, intentions to vaccinate are mixed. Trends indicate that intentions are highest when the vaccine is framed to solely prevent cervical cancer and lowest when the vaccine is framed to prevent both cervical cancer and an STI, indicating that people may feel the need for an STI vaccine is unnecessary, perhaps due to a false sense of disease risk.