Open AccessExamining Associations between Knowledge and Vaccine Uptake Using the Human Papillomavirus Knowledge Questionnaire (HPV-KQ)
Author(s) -
Sayward E. Harrison,
Valerie Yelverton,
Yunfei Wang,
Jan Ostermann,
Laura J. Fish,
Charnetta Williams,
Lavanya Vasudevan,
Emmanuel B. Walter
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
american journal of health behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.591
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1945-7359
pISSN - 1087-3244
DOI - 10.5993/ajhb.45.5.2
Subject(s) - scale (ratio) , internal consistency , psychological intervention , human papillomavirus , hpv vaccines , vaccination , medicine , demography , hpv infection , psychology , cervical cancer , clinical psychology , immunology , psychometrics , cancer , geography , nursing , cartography , sociology
Objectives: Understanding the relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV) knowledge and vaccination behavior is important to inform public health interventions, yet few validated HPV knowledge scales exist. This study describes development of the Human Papillomavirus Knowledge Questionnaire (HPV-KQ) and its validation with parents residing in the southern United States (US). Methods: Drawing on previously published measures, we developed the 13-item HPV-KQ and administered the scale via Web-based survey to parents (N=1105) of adolescents ages 9 to 17 years. Dimensionality, internal consistency, model fit, and predictive validity were assessed. Results: The scale was bidimensional. One factor captured general HPV knowledge, and the second factor captured perceptions of gender differences in HPV infection and vaccine recommendations. The 13-item scale and 2-factor solution displayed strong internal consistency and good model fit. Parents of vaccinated adolescents scored higher on the 13-item HPV-KQ (Mean = 8.56) than parents of unvaccinated adolescents (Mean = 6.43) (p < .001). In regression models, controlling for key covariates, parents' performance on the HPV-KQ predicted adolescent HPV vaccination (p < .001). Conclusions: Evaluation indicates the HPV-KQ is a reliable and valid tool for measuring knowledge of HPV and the HPV vaccine among parents residing in the southern US. We recommend further efforts to validate the scale with other populations.