Factors associated with human papillomavirus vaccine-series initiation and healthcare provider recommendation in US adolescent females: 2007 National Survey of Children's Health

Objective: To identify factors associated with initiation of the human papillomavirus vaccine series and parental report of a healthcare provider recommendation of the human papillomavirus vaccine in adolescent females.

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of 2007 National Survey of Children's Health.

Participants: Parents of 12-17 year-old US adolescent females.

Main outcome measures: Associations of sociodemographic and healthcare factors with initiation of the human papillomavirus vaccine series and parental report of a healthcare provider recommendation of the human papillomavirus vaccine.

Results: Data were analyzed for 16,139 adolescent females. Almost 20% of adolescent females initiated the HPV vaccine series. Significantly higher proportions of adolescent females who initiated the human papillomavirus vaccine series vs. those who did not initiate the human papillomavirus vaccine series had a parental report of their healthcare provider recommending the human papillomavirus vaccine (84% vs. 20%). In multivariable analyses, adolescent females who were American Indian/Alaska Native, were multiracial, received the meningococcal vaccine, received the tetanus/tetanus-diphtheria/tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis vaccine, or were poor had higher adjusted odds of initiating the human papillomavirus vaccine series; parental report of a healthcare provider recommendation of the human papillomavirus vaccine was associated with about 18 times the adjusted odds of initiating the human papillomavirus vaccine series. In separate multivariable analyses, adolescent females who were African-American and uninsured had lower adjusted odds of a parental report of a healthcare provider recommendation of the human papillomavirus vaccine.

Conclusion: Parental report of a healthcare provider recommendation is significantly associated with human papillomavirus vaccine-series initiation. African-American race/ethnicity and uninsurance were associated with lower odds of a parental report of a healthcare provider recommendation of the human papillomavirus vaccine. Routine healthcare provider recommendation of human papillomavirus vaccination might improve adolescent females' human papillomavirus vaccination rates.