The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine effectively prevents up to 90% of HPV related cancers, including most cervical, oropharyngeal, anal, penile, vaginal, and vulvar cancers in the United States. Despite the proven efficacy of the HPV vaccine, only around 50% of eligible youth have been vaccinated. Multiple previous studies found that parental education achievement was an indicator of adolescent HPV vaccination attainment. In this study, we used a cross-sectional design to investigate the possible association between educational attainment and HPV vaccination status. A secondary data analysis including chi-square tests and logistic regression models were performed on data obtained from the 2017-18 NHANES survey. Individuals who were not eligible for the HPV vaccine and those who did not respond to survey questions were excluded from data analysis. Following exclusion, there were 2,911 participants in this study. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated to control for several confounding variables including: gender, race, annual family income, age, citizenship status and primary language. The chi-square test indicated a statistically significant association between education and HPV vaccine status. The logistic regression demonstrated that individuals completing 8th grade or less were 76% less likely to receive the HPV vaccine; this was the only statistically significant result of the linear regression model. This study indicated a positive association between education level up to a high school degree and HPV vaccine status, however, further research with a larger sample size must be performed to confirm the significance of this relationship.
Author(s): Maggie Dicks, Biology and Public Health Major
Megan Louttit, Public Health Major
Advisor(s): Saruna Ghimire, Department of Sociology and Gerontology
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