A randomized longitudinal intervention study to assess whether electronic messaging can increase HPV vaccine utilization and adherence among college students in Eastern North Carolina.
Grant
Overview
abstract
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Given the importance of immunizing young adults for the prevention of cancer and given the low uptake of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in this group, it is important to develop and evaluate strategies to increase use and adherence among this population. We propose to conduct an experiment to understand whether electronic (text and/or email) reminders of scheduled appointment times coupled with electronic health educational messaging about HPV and the HPV vaccine can increase HPV vaccine utilization, adherence, and knowledge among college students (both female and male) attending a large college in eastern North Carolina. We hypothesize that students who receive the intervention will be more compliant at 3 months and at 7 months as compared to the control group. We also hypothesize that intervention group participants will have higher levels of knowledge about HPV and the HPV vaccine than those in the control group. The proposed study employs a single-blind, single-site, longitudinal and randomized intervention study design where one group of students requesting the HPV vaccine will be randomly assigned to be in the intervention group (receives electronic reminders and educational messages) and a second group of students will be randomly assigned to be part of the control group (current standard of care = paper cards with the date of their next vaccination written on it). These two groups will be compared longitudinally for differences in HPV vaccine utilization and adherence, and knowledge and attitudes about HPV and the HPV vaccine (parallel design).
date/time interval
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October 2011 - November 2014
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