Culturally Targeted Health Communication and Receptivity to the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Among Parents in Flint, MI

Culturally Targeted Messaging and Parental Receptivity to the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if culturally targeted messaging about the human papillomavirus (HPV) increases receptivity to the HPV vaccine among African American parents of vaccine-eligible daughters. The main question it aims to answer is:

• Does culturally targeted messaging increase African American parents' intentions to vaccinate their daughter against HPV?

Research will compare culturally targeted messaging to general, educational messaging and no messaging.

Participants will:

• View culturally targeted messages, education-only messages, or no messages about the HPV vaccine
• Report their intentions to vaccinate their daughter against HPV
• Report whether they have initiated HPV vaccination for their daughter six months later

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: HPV Vaccination
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Culturally Targeted HPV Vaccine Health Messaging; Behavioral: General HPV Vaccine Health Messaging

Detailed Description

Cervical cancer incidence and mortality are higher for African American women than for White women. The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is the most effective strategy for reducing risk for cervical cancer. However, African American girls are less likely to have completed the HPV vaccine series than White girls. The present research will evaluate a culturally targeted approach to health messaging about the HPV vaccine for parents with vaccine-eligible daughters. The central hypothesis is that African American parents will have greater receptivity to the HPV vaccine after receiving culturally targeted messaging compared to parents who receive no messaging or education-only messaging about HPV vaccination. The primary aims are: 1) evaluate effects of HPV vaccine education on White and African American parents' receptivity to the HPV vaccine, and whether culturally targeted messaging enhances HPV vaccine receptivity among African American parents, 2) compare effects of education-only versus culturally targeted messaging on activation of racism-related thinking when considering child HPV vaccination, and 3) examine the effects of racism-related medical mistrust on the effectiveness of culturally targeted messaging. General and culturally targeted messaging about the HPV vaccine were developed in collaboration with community members and a local health educator. Participants will report their intentions to vaccinate their daughter against HPV immediately after viewing health messaging, as well as initiation of the HPV vaccine series for their daughter 6-months post-messaging.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 265
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Olivia Aspiras, PhD; Phone Number: 810-600-9181; Email: aspiraso@msu.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Michigan
    • Flint, Michigan, United States, 48502
      • Recruiting
      • Flint Journal Building
      • Contact: Olivia; Phone Number: 3306126007; Email: aspiraso@msu.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Identify as Black/African American or White/Caucasian
• Have at least one daughter who is between 8-17 years of age, who is not currently pregnant, and who has not received any doses of the HPV vaccine

Exclusion Criteria:

• N/A

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

5

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: African American Culturally Targeted Messaging; Culturally targeted messaging about the HPV vaccine for African American parents	Behavioral: Culturally Targeted HPV Vaccine Health Messaging; Educational messaging about the HPV vaccine includes culturally targeted messaging about the HPV vaccine.
Active Comparator: African American General, Education-Only Messaging; African American participants receive general, education-only messaging about the HPV vaccine.	Behavioral: General HPV Vaccine Health Messaging; General, education-only messaging about the HPV vaccine does not include culturally targeted messaging.
No Intervention: African American No Message; African American participants receive no messaging about the HPV vaccine
Active Comparator: White General, Education-Only Messaging; White participants receive general, education-only messaging about the HPV vaccine.	Behavioral: General HPV Vaccine Health Messaging; General, education-only messaging about the HPV vaccine does not include culturally targeted messaging.
No Intervention: White No Message; White participants receive no messaging about the HPV vaccine

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
HPV Vaccine Attitudes	Subscale of Theory of Planned Behavior measuring attitudes toward the HPV vaccine on response scale ranging from 1 = Strongly disagree to 7 = Strongly agree, where higher average scores indicate more positive attitudes	Immediately following and 6-months post-health messaging
HPV Vaccine Normative Beliefs	Subscale of Theory of Planned Behavior measuring the extent to which participants believe other people are favorable toward the HPV vaccine on response scale ranging from 1 = Strongly disagree to 7 = Strongly agree, where higher average scores indicate stronger normative beliefs	Immediately following and 6-months post-health messaging
HPV Vaccine Perceived Behavioral Control	Subscale of Theory of Planned Behavior measuring beliefs about ability to vaccinate their child on response scale ranging from 1 = Strongly disagree to 7 = Strongly agree, where higher average scores indicate greater perceived behavioral control	Immediately following and 6-months post-health messaging
HPV Vaccine Intentions	Subscale of Theory of Planned Behavior measuring intentions to vaccinate their child on response scale ranging from 1 = Strongly disagree to 7 = Strongly agree, where higher average scores indicate greater intentions	Immediately following and 6-months post-health messaging
Vaccination Initiation	1 self-report item measuring whether parents' daughters have received at least one dose of the HPV vaccine since completion of the initial survey, with Yes/No response options	6-months post-health messaging
Vaccination Discussion	1 self-report item measuring whether parents have discussed the HPV vaccine with their daughters' healthcare provider since completion of the initial survey, with Yes/No response options	6-months post-health messaging

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Anticipatory Racism	3 items measuring the extent to which parents expect racism-related factors to interfere with getting the HPV vaccine for their daughter on a 7-point response scale on response scale ranging from 1 = Strongly disagree to 7 = Strongly agree, where higher average scores indicate greater expectations of racism	Immediately following health messaging

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Michigan State University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 17, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 8, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 10, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): December 24, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 13, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 11, 2026
• Last Verified: November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 00630245

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No