An Intervention Study To Improve Human PapillomaVirus ( HPV) Immunization in Haitian and African American Girls (HPV)

In the U.S., Black women have higher rates of cervical cancer than White women. Women in Haiti and Haitian immigrant women have among the highest rates of cervical cancer in the world. The recent introduction of the HPV vaccine provides an opportunity to reduce the disparity in cervical cancer rates between White and Black non-White (Haitians and US born African-Americans (AA)). Unfortunately, females ages 11-14 have low rates, 25%, of HPV vaccination. For the vaccine to be effective it must be given prior to the onset of sexual activity. Parents are a central audience for interventions to promote HPV vaccine uptake in children < 18 since parents have to consent.

Hypothesis: The objective of this study is to increase HPV immunization rates in Haitian and African American adolescent girls. My hypothesis is that a validated behavior change mechanism, brief-negotiating interviewing (BNI), will effectively increase the proportion of mothers who give consent for their daughters' HPV vaccine, which will ultimately lead to higher vaccination rates, and increase knowledge of HPV infection and the vaccine in Haitian immigrant and African American mothers.

Specific Aim 1a: Develop a script that will use BNI to address low-income Haitian immigrant and African American mothers' concern about HPV immunization

Specific Aim 1b: Teach community health workers to use BNI to enhance HPV acceptability Specific aim 2: Conduct a pilot, randomized clinical trial to determine feasibility effectiveness of BNI, and to obtain empirical estimates of study parameters to assess logistical aspects of a larger Randomized Clinical Trial (RCT). This will include assessing recruitment and retention of subjects, intervention delivery, and effect size.

Study design: The primary study design will be a RCT which will follow the CONSORT requirements for data reporting and analysis. One-hundred immigrant Haitian mothers bringing their adolescent daughters (age range 11 to 15) to clinic for routine care will be randomized to BNI (n=80) or to standard care (N=80) information about HPV vaccine). The primary outcome will be receipt of the first HPV vaccination in the adolescent within 1 month of randomization. The secondary outcome will be maternal knowledge about HPV vaccine. This study will provide key estimates so that we can conduct a fully-powered RCT, which will include completion of the primary HPV series (3 vaccinations) as the primary outcome.