Background: Racial/ethnic minorities generally have a lower knowledge of human papillomavirus (HPV) and the HPV vaccine than non-Hispanic Whites. They are also less likely to have a regular healthcare provider (HCP). Given the role of HCPs in disseminating health information, we evaluated whether racial/ethnic disparities in HPV knowledge are moderated by regular HCP status.
Methods: Data from the Health Information National Trends Survey Five (HINTS 5) Cycles One and Two (2017-2018) were analyzed. HPV and HPV vaccine knowledge were compared by regular HCP status across race/ethnicities. Independent partially-adjusted multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the association between race/ethnicity and knowledge after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. The resulting adjusted odds ratios were compared to those from fully-adjusted models that included HCP status.
Results: After adjusting for regular HCP status, differences in knowledge persisted between racial/ethnic groups. Compared to Whites, Hispanics and Other race/ethnicities had significantly lower odds of having heard of HPV. Blacks, Hispanics, and Other race/ethnicities had significantly lower odds of having heard of the HPV vaccine.
Conclusion: Racial/ethnic minorities had significantly lower levels of knowledge despite HCP status. These data suggest the need to address disparities in health information and strengthen provider-patient communication regarding HPV and the HPV vaccine.
Keywords: HPV; HPV vaccine; health disparities; human papillomavirus; racial/ethnic minority.