Article Critique on HPV vaccination use in Rural Settings - Research Paper Example

? Article Critique on HPV vaccination use in Rural Settings Article Critique What are the targeted behavior changes? The article describes a research that was conducted to gauge the impact of social campaigns which are meant, to increase in the number of women who initiate the HPV vaccine for their young daughters at a rural setting. HPV predisposes women to cervical cancer; hence, it is recommended that young girls aged between 11 to 12 years need to be vaccinated against this virus so that they are not predisposed to cervical cancer attacks. The study described in this article seeks to create an awareness concerning the advantages of timely vaccination of young girls against the human papilloma virus (HPV). The study was to raise awareness among parents and be able to reduce the barriers to be able to access the vaccine in a primarily rural area. The campaign was scheduled for a three month period to administer the vaccine to mothers of children of ages 11 and 12 and elevate the health care practices that are serving the pre teenage girls in the four counties. The aim of the study was to enable the number of the pre teen girls to be able to take the vaccine in considerable numbers and increase the number of the population that is shielded against the HPV. The article analyzed the traffic of the websites, the traffic of the hotline calls, and the placement of the media to be able to determine the number of people in the population that was aware of HPV vaccination program. The study conducted a survey on the mothers and providers of the vaccine, and the immunization rates of HPV against the counties that are non intervention. Within a period of six months since the launch of the vaccination campaign, the HPV vaccination rates had gone up by 2% for the girls who were aged between 9 and 10 years old in two counties out of the four intervention counties (Brewer, 2008). 2) Who is the target population for the campaign? The campaign conducted targeted women of rural areas in North Carolina so that these women would be enlightened on issues concerning the vaccination of their young daughters. The campaign was conducted for a total of 3 months so that it was possible to pass the message to mothers of young girls aged between 11 and 12 years in rural Carolina. The campaign also targeted health care practices that serve these young girls in the region. Through the campaign, the proponents hoped that these services would be improved. HPV is a sexually transmitted infection that causes cervical cancer; it is the main cause of the cancer problem in women. The vaccine is highly recommended for girls who are aged between 11 and 12 years before they become sexually active in their teenage years. There are two vaccines which are allowed, for females who are aged between 9 and 26 years old; the vaccines include; gardasil and cervarix. Despite the governments’ efforts in launching the campaign, the study shows that only one third of females aged 9 and 17 have been able to take vaccination program seriously. This is quite a low uptake level, and the government needs to do something about it on a high note. Cervical cancer attacks people of all races, it is a socioeconomic disease and women who reside in the rural areas are most likely to be attacked by the disease than women who reside in the urban areas. The African American females are fifty percent more likely to get sick because of cervical cancer, and they likely to die as a result of the disease twice more than the white females. The rates of the cervical cancer in the Hispanic and the Indian American females are high than the rates for the disease in the non Hispanic females. Through such information, like the rural issues, the ethnic backgrounds of the minority females and their children in the North Carolina was a legitimate target because of its audience for the campaign and evaluation of the HPV vaccine. The study revealed that most parents were willing to have their teenage girls to get the vaccine, even though others were not aware of the campaign. Some of the parents did not support the idea of the HPV vaccination program more so for girls who were aged between 9 and 12. The awareness of the HPV vaccination was differing by the socio demographic groups in the area of study (CDC, 2007). 3) What are the goals and objectives of the campaign? a) To raise awareness among rural parents concerning the prevalence and effects of the HPV b) To ensure that mothers of young girls utilize HPV vaccination services so that the prevalence of cervical cancers reduces in the region c) To reduce barriers of young girls accessing the HPV vaccine d) To protect the young girls from getting infected with cervical cancer by getting sexually active e) To ensure that women are protected against the cervical cancer issue 4) What is the theoretical basis of the campaign? Infection from the HPV predisposes girls and women to cervical cancer, an extraordinarily serious condition. This virus is spread mainly through sexual activity; hence exposure rates are high in young girls who are experimenting on sex. As a result of this, these girls are vulnerable to HPV attack, which further predisposes them to cervical cancer during their later years. However, when these girls are routinely vaccinated against the virus, it ensures that the viral strains do not infect them. The vaccines are available, but only about a third of young females are the ones who access and use the drug. It is, therefore, it was necessary to create the campaign and enlighten more women on the benefits of these vaccines (Bernat, 2009). This was to help reduce the cervical cancer prevalence among women, since most women nowadays are exposed to sexual activities, and in this generation, it is exceedingly difficult for parents to protect their young ones against experimenting with sexual activities. The HPV vaccine comes in as a convenient option that will protect the teenage girls from the disease. The intervention was supported on the basis of the health belief model which addresses the perceptions of mothers in the susceptibility to the infection of HPV, the severity of the cervical cancer, the benefits of the vaccination in the prevention of cancer and HPV infection, and all the possible barriers that include; the safety of the vaccination, the access of vaccination, and the cost of the vaccine. The pilot campaign that was carried out in the four counties of North Carolina showed the reactions of the parents to the administration of vaccination, and how the vaccine had helped their daughters in having the prevention from the cervical cancer. 5) Why was a social marketing approach selected for this intervention? Social marketing is friendly and more convincing. Through this approach, it was possible for women to be convinced on the benefits of using the vaccine. The directors of the healthcare program used this marketing approach because they had the aim of addressing majorly vast rates of the cervical cancer in the region. The marketing strategy was aiming to create awareness to the people and the vast population on the benefits of vaccination and how this could help in taming the disease which was becoming abundantly prevalent in the area. The study used an iterative process, to solicit input from the audience that was being targeted in the campaign material development. The study then conducted a research that was formative with the mothers of the young girls who were of ages 9 and 11 in the counties of intervention. The parents were targeted so that the campaign could understand the determinants for the vaccination decisions that mothers who were informed could make and how they would react to the concepts which were developed to motivate them to take their daughters to the HPV vaccination program. The marketing strategy conducted a focus group discussion on four groups which were racially different mothers of girls who had not yet been vaccinated against the virus. The initial study showed how the mothers were interested in protecting the daughters from being harmed, and they were able to embrace the futures of their daughters. The participants were able to give comments of the design, images and texts in the poster that was presented in the first focus groups who were able to amend and revise the versions of the information that was being carried in the posters. The study proved that other mothers were not aware of the age recommendation for girls who were yet to hit the teenage level. Some mothers were having questions about how secure the vaccine was to the lives of their daughters, they could not trust the advertising of the campaign and all that it was selling to them, some mothers questioned the legality of the campaign and the vaccination program. Most mothers preferred to get information about the HPV vaccination from their doctors, from relatives or friends and from the internet where they could be able to review several sources. The study also tested six posters in the form of intercept interviews with thirty nine mothers of pre teenage girls at different retail places in the different counties. The strategy also used the help of seventy nine different mothers from different races in a focus group. This focus group contained 42 African American mothers, 19 Indian American mothers, 13 white American mothers, 3 Latina mothers, and 2 mothers from mixed races. The message that was got from the focus group was a slogan that was used throughout the campaign period. The focus group also gave out messages that were used in advertisements and the marketing strategy that helped the campaign to move on to the next level. They also passed a resolution that all practicing doctors were to help in marketing of the HPV vaccine by recommending the vaccine to the girls who were aged between ages 9 and 12. The doctors were to do this by educating mothers on the safety of the vaccine, the efficiency of the vaccine in protecting the girls from cervical cancer and the easy access of the vaccination for all girls who wanted to use the vaccine. There were several principles of social marketing that were put in to the campaign for the vaccination program. Some of these principles included; the product which was the HPV vaccine, price which included issues about the monetary cost of the vaccine to individuals, the perception of the safety of the vaccine, the efficiency of the vaccine in protecting the women from cervical cancer, and how the vaccine was available in the region. Another principle was the promotion of the vaccine and the campaigns; this included the making of the posters, the brochures, the websites, the recommendations of the doctors and the making of the news releases. The other principle that was used was the place that the campaign was to take place; this included the offices of the doctors, pharmacies, and all the outlets of retail products. The strategies of the study did not target only mothers, but also the providers’ of the health care and the media. The strategies also targeted the influencers in the health sector in the region. The campaign strategy was to distribute the material in all languages so that all people could be able to read and understand the message that was being passed along. The healthcare providers were trusted with the responsibility of distributing the vaccine and educating any person who wanted to inquire more about the vaccine. This helped in developing the trust of some mothers towards the perception they had for the vaccine. 6) How was formative research conducted? Before creating the campaign, the team analyzed various components that enabled them to succeed in their efforts. They conducted various researches on media placements on the subject. They also conducted research on mothers and health care providers so as to know about the impact of the vaccine in the community. The team also analyzed the immunization rates of HPV in different countries so as to compare the different set ups. The campaign team also took part in the civic education programs where they involved the mothers of pre teenage girls in developing the marketing strategy of the vaccination campaign and they helped people to understand the importance of the vaccine to the young girls who were nearly ready to start experiencing another form of life. 7) How are the 4 Ps applied in the development and implementation of the campaign? The 4ps are product, price, place and promotion. The product is the vaccine that the campaign was recommending to the rural women. The product was designed to be able to help women, and it was also designed to be appealing to all calibers of women. On pricing, the campaign team told the women not to mind about cost since the vaccine is effective and safe. The vaccine was made so that it was cost effective to all the different economic classes of people in the region so that all people could manage to afford the vaccine. On promotion, the campaign team printed many brochures and posters. The campaign team developed marketing means that were to ensure all the people in the region were well educated about the issue and that the vaccine was used to help in the prevention of cervical cancer and not any form of the disease. This increased the trust in women about the legality of the vaccine. Finally on place, the team chose various retail outlets and doctor’s offices to assist in creating more awareness. The doctors were encouraged to educate the community about the vaccine and give people the vaccine at friendly cost. The campaign team was supposed to point out the specific distributors of the vaccine so that people will know where to get the vaccination. Conclusion This is a well-developed campaign in the sense that, the ones who conducted the campaign have been able to prove the worth of what they were preaching about. The respondents are adequate (225), and of all the respondents, almost 82% got the campaign message or materials. This is an indication that they have promoted their campaign well. They have also applied the other 3 Ps of marketing, which has ensured that their message has been spread well to the local communities. They were able to spread their materials well, and from their findings it is evident that this was a noteworthy campaign. What they are studying is an issue that is affecting masses in the community, and from their successful campaign, it is evident that it is going to reduce the prevalence of cervical cancer by creating the awareness on mothers and health care experts of young girls. If I were to redo the campaign, I would increase the number of respondents to about 500 so that the number is more representative of the local community. I would also extend the campaign to the urban setting so that I am able to compare the awareness rates of rural and urban settings. References [CDC], C. f. (2007). Quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine:. United States National Library of Medicine : PubMed: 17218934. Bernat DH, H. S. (2009). Parental support for the human papillomavirus vaccine. Journal of Adolescent Health. United States National Library of Medicine : PubMed. Brewer NT, F. K. (2008). Predictors of HPV vaccine acceptability: A theory-informed systematic. United States National Library of Medicine : PubMed. Cates JR, B. N. (2009). Racial differences in HPV knowledge, HPV vaccine acceptability, and related beliefs among rural, Southern women. Journal of Rural Health. United States National Library of Medicine : PubMed. Cates JR, S. A. (2010). How parents hear about human papillomavirus vaccine: Implications for uptake. Journal of Adolescent Health. United States National Library of Medicine : PubMed: 20708571. Prevention, C. f. (2009). National, state, and local area vaccination coverage. United States National Library of Medicine : PubMed: 19763075. Read More