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Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination can prevent numerous cancers, yet uptake remains low for adolescents. Given disproportionate burden of cancers among African Americans, it is important to identify factors that influence HPV vaccination decisions among African American parents, specifically the role and preferences of vaccine campaign messages. The objectives of this study were to (1) identify the predictors of parents’ decisions to get their children vaccinated against HPV, (2) assess parents’ evaluation of current HPV vaccination campaign messages, and (3) uncover message strategies or themes parents consider to be effective and motivating to vaccinate their children against HPV. Focus groups were conducted with African American mothers and fathers ( n = 18) in person. Several themes emerged regarding HPV vaccine acceptability including the desire to be informed, the unfamiliarity of vaccination, and mistrust toward government, pharmaceutical companies, and healthcare providers. Parental review of existing campaign messages highlighted the importance of clarifying risks and benefits of vaccination, including cancer prevention, and the preference for straightforward language. When brainstorming strategies to craft effective messages, parents highlighted need for the inclusion of diverse groups across race, gender, and age. Additionally, parents recommended clear language on side effects, eligibility, and additional resources for further information. Our findings highlight concerns and potential strategies to promote HPV vaccination tailored to African American parents and their children. Targeted interventions to increase vaccination need to consider the importance of building trust and representation in health promotional materials. Considerations for how messages were shared were also discussed such as physical locations, word of mouth, and social media.

Though associations between personality and health have been previously observed, less is known about why such relationships exist. The present study examines whether social support mediated the relationship between personality traits and health among African Americans. We hypothesized that social support would help explain the relationship between each of the five-factor model traits and physical functioning. Data were collected from a national probability sample of 803 African American adults using a telephone survey including measures of the five-factor model personality traits, social support, and physical functioning. Results of mediational analyses suggested that higher openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness, and lower neuroticism predicted higher social support. Higher openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and lower neuroticism, but not agreeableness, predicted higher physical functioning. The relationships between physical functioning and personality traits were at least partially mediated by social support. This study reinforces the importance of identifying the mechanisms underlying the personality-health relationship. This information may be useful to community members and health care providers in developing prevention and treatment strategies for African Americans.

Objectives We examined the longitudinal associations of social capital on self-rated health and differences by race/ ethnicity in older adults. Methods We used Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative sample of US adults aged C 50 years evaluated every 2 years (2006-2014) (N = 18,859). We investigated the relationship between social capital indicators (neighborhood social cohesion/physical disorder, positive/negative social support) with self-rated health accounting for age, gender, education and stratified by race/ethnicity. We used structural equation multilevel modeling estimating the associations: within-wave and between-persons. Results We observed between-persons-level associations among social capital indicators and self-rated health. Individuals with overall levels of positive social support and neighborhood social cohesion tended to have overall better self-rated health [correlations 0.21 (p \ 0.01) and 0.29 (p \ 0.01), respectively]. For Hispanics, the correlations with self-rated health were lower for neighborhood social cohesion (0.19) and negative social support (-0.09), compared to Whites (0.29 and -0.20). African-Americans showed lower correlations of positive social support (0.14) compared to Whites (0.21) and Hispanics (0.28). Conclusions Interventions targeting social capital are in need, specifically those reinforcing positive social support and neighborhood social cohesion and diminishing neighborhood physical disorder and negative social support of older adults.

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