Design and efficacy of a multilingual, multicultural HPV vaccine education intervention

Background: The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the precursor and the single, most important risk factor for cervical cancer. It is also the most com- monly sexually transmitted infection in the United States. An estimated 20 million persons are currently infected with the virus, with an estimated 6 million new infections occurring annually and 12 000 new cervical cancer cases and 4 000 cervical cancer deaths annually. The HPV vaccine is thus an especially important preventive measure for racial/ ethnic groups who bear an unequal burden of cer- vical cancer mortality. Purpose: This study aimed to develop a culturally and linguistically appropriate intervention to educate and empower Latino and Korean American parents to make an informed HPV vacci- nation decision for their minor children. Methods: A parent-focused HPV vaccine education DVD was developed through focus groups and cog- nitive interviews with Latino and Korean American parents of children ages 11-17. A randomized con- trolled efficacy trial was subsequently conducted with 708 Latino and Korean American parents to assess knowledge gains, decisional conflict, decision self-efficacy, and informed decision-making result- ing from viewing the intervention DVD. Results: Differences between treatment and control groups for pre-post changes in knowledge, informed decision-making, and decisional conflict were statistically significant among the parents exposed to the education intervention DVD. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that a cultu- rally and linguistically appropriate intervention DVD designed to educate parents about the risks and benefits of the HPV vaccine promoted informed decision-making regarding HPV vaccination among at-risk populations.