Employing Narrative Forms of Communication for Cervical Cancer Prevention Message

Pennsylvania State University, The, University Park PA

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Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): [unreadable] [unreadable] Cervical cancer remains a significant public health burden with an estimated 10,370 women diagnosed and 3,710 dying in 2007. A human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, Gardasil. approved in June 2006, has shown promise in reducing the incidence of high-risk HPV types 16 and 18, which are necessary though not sufficient causes of cervical cancer. Communication will play a key role in realizing the preventive potential of this vaccine. Health care providers have limited guidelines for how to effectively communicate about the HPV vaccine because research is just beginning to address this concern. The proposed study will address this need through a tri-phased process guided by a theoretical framework based on narrative theory of cancer communication (Kreuter et al., 2007), the theory of normative social behavior (Rimal & Real, 2005) and the story model (Pennington & Hastie, 1986). Formative research (in-depth interviews) will be conducted to identify determinants of vaccine acceptability and develop narratives (phase 1). Formative research findings and theory will inform health message design about the HPV vaccine and cervical cancer prevention (phase 2). Health messages will be piloted and subsequently tested in a clinical trial (phase 3). Specific aims of the proposed study include identifying determinants (attitudes, beliefs, and practices) of HPV vaccine acceptability among college women and developing an online narrative intervention for effective delivery of HPV vaccine information. These specific aims address the CDC mission to (a) reduce cervical cancer incidence and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as HPV, and (b) improve health literacy. Cervical cancer remains a significant public health burden with annual newly diagnosed case estimates at 10,370 and annual mortality rates at 3710. The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil , released in June 2006, has the preventive potential to reduce cervical cancer incidence up to 70 percent, HPV, and costs related to cervical disease. The overall goal of the proposed research is to (a) identify effective, evidence-based communication strategies to increase utilization of the HPV vaccine among college age women and, (b) test a theory-based online narrative intervention that shows promise to improve health literacy. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]