The Japanese Association of School Health

Original Article

ISSN ONLINE : 1880-2400

School Health Vol.11, 1-8, 2015

Necessary Content of Information Concerning the HPV Vaccine as Assessed by Mothers of Girls

Junko Shida*, Yumiko Tsuchiya*, Kyoko Inoue*, Kunihiko Maeda*
and Michiyasu Yamaki**

  • *Department of Nursing, Yamagata Prefectural University of Health Sciences
  • 260 Kamiyanagi, Yamagata-shi, Yamagata 990-2212, Japan
  • jshida@yachts.ac.jp
  • ** Department of Occupational Therapy, Yamagata Prefectural University of Health Sciences
  • 260 Kamiyanagi, Yamagata-shi, Yamagata 990-2212, Japan

Received July 15, 2013 ; Accepted December 21, 2014

Keywords:
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, cervical cancer, information

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Abstracts

Purpose: The present study aimed to clarify the information content regarding the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine considered essential by parents of girls approaching the recommended age for HPV vaccination as they decide whether or not to have their daughters vaccinated. In addition, we surveyed the parents’ preferred sources of this information.
Methods: All research subjects were from one town and one city of Prefecture A in the Tohoku Region in Japan. Fourteen elementary schools provided their consent to participate in the survey. Of the 684 parents of the 5th and 6th grade girls at these schools, 272 responded to the postal self-administered questionnaire survey. Data comprised the free writing content of the survey, and were analyzed using Berelson’s content analysis.
Results: Information considered necessary for making decisions concerning HPV vaccination by parents of girls approaching the recommended age for HPV vaccination was classified into 10 categories. These included [basic knowledge of HPV and cervical cancer], [preventive effects on cervical cancer and limitations of the HPV vaccine], and [actual data demonstrating the degree and incidence of specific adverse events], to name a few. Preferred sources of information on the HPV vaccine as reported by parents could be classified into eight categories, revealing that [school] and [public institutions such as national and local governments] were preferred over the [mass media] or [medical institutions].
Conclusions: The present study revealed that when parents are faced with decisions concerning HPV vaccination for their daughters, they desire information not only on the effects and adverse events related to the vaccine, but also multifaceted and factual information on HPV and cervical cancer. Effective delivery of reliable and accurate information to parents would be possible through health education targeting parents and children. Health education could be offered collaboratively among schools, universities, the municipality, and medical institutions, with each contributing in their own way to the overall effort.

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