Parental Receptiveness to a Hypothetical HPV Vaccine

1
Parental Receptiveness to a Hypothetical HPV
Vaccine

• AJ Lenar, E Anderson, M Wentworth, K Connolly
• MVD Business Research, Merck Company

2
Study Objectives

• To assess parental awareness of cervical cancer
  and HPV
• To measure the extent of parental receptiveness
  to a hypothetical HPV vaccine
• To identify differentiating demographic and
  attitudinal characteristics of more vs. less
  receptive parents

3
Methodology

• Internet survey conducted with 2,053 parents of
  daughters 9-17 years of age
• Average of 26 minutes to complete
• Respondents had to have either primary
  responsibility or shared responsibility for
  deciding whether their children would receive a
  particular vaccine
• Concept provided information regarding the
  incidence of cervical cancer, genital warts, the
  role of sexual activity in contracting these
  diseases, and described a hypothetical HPV
  vaccine

4
Sample Characteristics

• Sample was balanced across age, gender, marital
  status, income, geographic location, and
  ethnicity
• Sample generally paralleled the US Census for
  families that include 9-17 year old daughters
  except
• Internet sample generally better educated
• African-Americans (n170) and Hispanics (n160)
  were underrepresented
• Since responses did not differ across
  racial/ethnic categories, the sample was not
  weighted

5
Analytic Framework

• Research explored variables affecting willingness
  to vaccinate
• T-tests between groups were first used to test
  statistical significance
• Focused on differences that achieve or surpass
  plt.01 to plt.001 (two-tailed, 95 level of
  confidence)
• Cumulative logistic regression models were used
  to further clarify and prioritize variables that
  contributed to receptiveness

6
Results
7
Awareness of Cervical Cancer

• 60 of parents said they knew some or a lot
  about cervical cancer
• Only 5 of parents were unaware of cervical
  cancer

16
60
14
46
24
11
5
Unaware
Almost Nothing
Know A Little
Know Some
Know A lot
(n2,053)
Q.21 "Have you ever heard of cervical
cancer?" Q.22 "Would you say you know a lot,
some, a little or almost nothing about cervical
cancer?"
8
Awareness of Genital Warts
Parents claim to have greater knowledge of
cervical cancer than genital warts (60 vs. 49)
23
49
11
38
29
17
6
Unaware
Almost Nothing
Know A Little
Know Some
Know A lot
(n2,053)
Q.23 "Have you ever heard of genital
warts?" Q.24 "Would you say you know a lot,
some, a little or almost nothing about them?"
9
Knowledge of Relationship
71 of parents were unaware of the relationship
between genital warts and the virus that causes
cervical cancer
71
29
100 75 50 25 0 25 50
No/Don't Know Yes
(n2,053)
Q.25 "Are you aware of any relationship between
genital warts and the virus that causes cervical
cancer?"
10
Vaccination Interest Segments for a Hypothetical
HPV Vaccine
Based on the concept alone, 62 of parents said
they would definitely (30) or probably (32)
have their daughters vaccinated before their 18th
birthdays
11
62
50 25 0 25 50 75
Leave The Definitely Probably Might/ Probably Def
initely Decision Up Not Not Might
Not Would Would To Her Once She Turns 18
Likelihood To Vaccinate Before 18 Yrs.
(n2,053)
Average Current Age Of Daughter
13 yrs. 13 yrs. 13 yrs. 13 yrs.
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Vaccination Interest Segments for a Hypothetical
HPV Vaccine for Males

• Parents with 9-17 year old sons were as receptive
  to vaccinating their sons as their daughters

Daughter1 (n2,053)
62
Sons 9-17 Yrs. Old(n783)
62
50 25 0 25 50 75
Reluctant Might or Might Not
Probably Would Definitely Would
Likelihood To Vaccinate Before 18 Yrs.
1For parents with more than one 9-17 year old
daughter, parents were asked about their
attitudes towards vaccinating the daughter with
the most recent birthday.
12
Impact Of Physician Recommendations On
Vaccination Segments
62
HPV Concept Only
With Strong Physician RecommendationIf It Were
My Daughter...a
79
Physician Characterizes Vaccine As Good/Leaves It
Up To Parenta
61
Physician Characterize HPV Vaccine As Helpful,
But Unnecessarya
49
Physician States "Today Your Daughter Will Be
Receiving The HPV Vaccine"a
69
50 25 0 25 50 75 100
Resistant Hesitant Tempted Convinced
(n2,053)
a 1-2 of respondents answered "don't
know." Q.26 "Think about what you are likely to
do between now and the next few years. And, for
purposes of this study, assume that the cost of
this vaccine will be about the same as you have
experienced in the past for other childhood
vaccinations. Based on what youve read so far,
would you say that eventually, before she turns
18, youvaccinate?" Q.33 "Physicians may offer
different advice about the vaccine. Suppose
that, on your daughters next visit to the
doctor, her physician explained the HPV vaccine
and said, (ITEM). How likely or unlikely are
you to get your daughter vaccinated at or around
the time of that visit?" Q.34 "(IF NOT
DEFINITELY WOULD OR PROBABLY WOULD FOR ITEM
IN Q.33) If her physician said, (ITEM), how
likely or unlikely would you be to get your
daughter vaccinated at some point before she
turns 18?"
13
Predicting Likelihood To Vaccinate

• Cumulative logistic regression was carried out
  to understand which independent variables
  contribute most to distinguishing between
  receptiveness segments
• Any individual variable for which the correlation
  with receptiveness was not significant at p?.05
  or less was dropped
• 26 demographic and attitudinal variables remained
• Correctly classified 83.3 of parents, chance
  gives 32
• Increased the odds of correctly classifying a
  parent 2.6 fold (83.3 32 2.6)

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Predicting Likelihood To Vaccinate
15
Predicting Likelihood To Vaccinate
16
Summary

• Most parents were aware of cervical cancer and
  genital warts
• Parents felt they know more about cervical cancer
  than genital warts
• When questioned further, 71 said they were
  unaware of the relationship genital warts and the
  virus that causes cervical cancer
• Based on the concept alone, 62 of parents said
  they would definitely (30) or probably (32)
  vaccinate their daughters with a hypothetical HPV
  vaccine

17
Summary

• Most of the remainder (30) were unsuremight or
  might notrather than reluctant (11)
• Among reluctant parents, only 2 said they
  definitely would not vaccinate
• Parents were equally receptive to vaccinating
  their sons
• A strong personal recommendation from a physician
  increased parent receptivity (definitely or
  probably would) from 62 to 79
• A parents general desire to protect his or her
  children was the greatest predictor of parental
  receptiveness