Author Contributions: Drs Talluri and Sanjay Shete had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. Drs Chido-Amajuoyi and Talluri contributed equally as co-first authors.

Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States; smoking in Mexican American adolescents, a rapidly growing population, remains a major concern. Factors associated with escalation or progression along the smoking trajectory have not been studied in adolescent Mexican Americans. A better understanding of escalation is needed for cancer prevention and overall health. N=1,328 Mexican American adolescents joined a cohort in 2005–06. At baseline participants provided demographic, acculturation and psychosocial data, and reported their smoking status using the Minnesota Smoking Index. Those that never tried a cigarette or only had a few puffs in their life were included in this study. The primary outcome of interest, escalation in smoking status, was defined as moving up the Minnesota Smoking Index by 2010–2011. The current analysis is based on 973 participants of whom 48.2% were male, mean age=11.8 (SD=0.8), and 26.0% were born in Mexico. By 2010–2011, 283 (29%) escalated their smoking status and 690 (71%) remained the same. Being older (OR=1.30; CI=1.07–1.57), male (OR=1.88, CI=1.40–2.53), having higher levels of anxiety (OR=1.03, CI=1.02–1.05), intending to smoke (OR=1.70, CI=1.18–2.46), having friends who smoke (OR=1.73, CI=1.12–2.70) and having parents’ friends who smoke (OR=1.38, CI=1.02–1.88) increased risk for smoking escalation. Higher levels of subjective social status (OR=0.91, CI= 0.83–0.99) were protective against smoking escalation. Contrasting previous work in smoking experimentation, parents’ friends influence was a stronger predictor than the family household influence. Preventative interventions for Mexican American youth could address this risk factor to reduce smoking escalation.

Amid subpar uptake of HPV vaccination in the United States, gender-generated disparities in HPV vaccination uptake have the potential to perpetuate existing disparities in HPV-associated cancers. Yet few studies have investigated the influence of parent–child gender on intentions to refuse HPV vaccination due to safety concerns/side effects. This study used nationally representative data, spanning 2010–2019, from the National Immunization Survey-Teen (NIS-Teen). NIS-Teen respondents are parents/guardians or primary caregivers of adolescents 13–17 years old living in the United States. Over the study period, intentions to refuse HPV vaccination due to safety concerns rose among all parent–child gender pairings but were highest among respondent mothers regarding their unvaccinated daughters. The results revealed a statistically significant increased likelihood of having intentions to refuse HPV vaccination due to safety concerns among all parent–child combinations compared with father–son pairs. These odds were consistently highest among mother–daughter pairs. In 2019, compared with father–son pairs, fathers were 1.94 (95% CI: 1.21–3.12) times more likely to report the intention to not vaccinate against HPV for their daughters, while mothers were 2.23 (95% CI: 1.57–3.17) and 2.87 (95% CI: 2.02–4.09) times more likely to report intentions to refuse HPV vaccination for their sons and daughters, respectively. These findings were persistent and constantly increased over the 10-year study period. Interventions aimed at correcting gender-based misperceptions and countering misinformation about the safety of the HPV vaccine are warranted.

had full access to all of the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Background: Gender-generated disparities in HPV vaccination uptake have the potential to further perpetuate existing disparities in HPV-associated cancers. This study examines the influence of parent-child gender on intent to not vaccinate against HPV due to safety/side effect concerns. Methods: Study data was from the National Immunization Survey-Teen (2010 - 2019). Weighted prevalence of intention to refuse HPV vaccination due to safety/side effect concerns were stratified by parent-child gender. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to examine for associations between intentions to refuse HPV vaccination due to safety concern/side effects and parent-child gender. Results: Over the study period, intentions to refuse HPV vaccination due to safety concerns rose among all parent-child gender pairings but was highest among respondent mothers when pertaining to their unvaccinated daughters. Results revealed statistically significant increased likelihood of having intentions to refuse HPV vaccination due to safety concerns among all parent-child combinations, compared to father-son pairs. These odds were consistently highest among mother-daughter pairs; 9.25 times more likely (95% CI: 6.34-13.51) than father-son pairs in 2010. In 2019, compared to father - son pairs, fathers were 1.94 (95% CI: 1.21-3.12) times more likely to report intention to not vaccinate against HPV for their daughters; while mothers were 2.23 (95% CI: 1.57-3.17) times more likely to report intentions to refuse HPV vaccination for their sons; and 2.87 (95% CI: 2.02-4.07) more likely for their daughters. Conclusions: Intentions to refuse HPV vaccination due to safety concern/side effects varied by gender of the responding parent and pertinent child. Study findings are persistent and constantly increased over a 10-year period. Interventions aimed at correcting gender-based misperceptions, as well as to counter misinformation about the safety of the HPV vaccine are warranted. Citation Format: Onyema Chido-Amajuoyi, rajesh talluri, Inimfon Jackson, Sahil Shete, Joel Fokom Domgue, Sanjay Shete. HPV non-vaccination due to safety concerns/side effects: Variations in vaccination intentions by Parent-Child Gender, National Immunization Survey - Teen, 2010 - 2019 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 2209.