Investigating Canadian parents' HPV vaccine knowledge, attitudes and behaviour: a study protocol for a longitudinal national online survey

Abstract

IntroductionHuman papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection, can cause anogenital warts and a number of cancers. To prevent morbidity and mortality, three vaccines have been licensed and are recommended by Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunisation (for girls since 2007 and boys since 2012). Nevertheless, HPV vaccine coverage in Canada remains suboptimal in many regions. This study will be the first to concurrently examine the correlates of HPV vaccine decision-making in parents of school-aged girls and boys and evaluate changes in parental knowledge, attitudes and behaviours over time.Methods and analysisUsing a national, online survey utilising theoretically driven constructs and validated measures, this study will identify HPV vaccine coverage rates and correlates of vaccine decision-making in Canada at two time points (August–September 2016 and June–July 2017). 4606 participants will be recruited to participate in an online survey through a market research and polling firm using email invitations. Data cleaning methods will identify inattentive or unmotivated participants.Ethics and disseminationThe study received research ethics board approval from the Research Review Office, Integrated Health and Social Services University Network for West-Central Montreal (CODIM-FLP-16–219). The study will adopt a multimodal approach to disseminate the study’s findings to researchers, clinicians, cancer and immunisation organisations and the public in Canada and internationally.

Using an integrated conceptual framework to investigate parents' HPV vaccine decision for their daughters and sons

“…Details of the methodology are presented in the protocol paper. 20 This study used a crosssectional design to collect self-reported online survey data from a national sample of Canadian parents. Data presented here were part of a larger two-wave protocol and were collected from August 17 to September 11, 2016 (i.e.…”

“…27 This study received Research Ethics Board approval from the Research Review Office, Integrated Health and Social Services University Network for West-Central Montreal (CODIM-FLP-16-219). 20…”

“…the use of two bogus items and index of psychometric synonyms). 20 Sociodemographic characteristics for the final sample (N=3,779) are presented in Table 1. At the time of data collection, only 7% were parents of boys living in provinces where there was a publicly funded HPV vaccine program for boys available (n = 252) and fewer still would have been eligible for the program depending upon their child's age.…”

“…19 A theoretical stage-based model, the Precaution Adoption Process Model (PAPM), allows for a nuanced examination of which modifying factors and individual health beliefs are important for each stage of decisionmaking ( Figure 1). [20][21][22] The PAPM identifies six stages involved in making a health decision and clarifies what factors lead individuals to move from one health behaviour decision-making stage to the next 23 . A stage-based understanding of HPV vaccine decision-making is important for identifying the psychosocial correlates for each stage and how to best intervene for parents at different stages.…”

Human Papillomavirus Vaccines: Successes and Future Challenges

“…Similarly, nearly 75% "somewhat" to "strongly" disagreed that vaccinating their son for HPV would send a message that he would not have to use safe sex practices, with only 11.1% of parents saying that they somewhat to strongly agreed that it would (unpublished data). Correspondingly, in a national study of 3779 parents of 9-to 16-year-old boys and girls across Canada [112], fewer than 7% of parents "somewhat" to 9/4/2018 11/32…”