https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7133-2913
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Abstract
Objective
Mothers play a significant role in decision making about human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for their daughters and about cervical screening attendance for themselves. This study had three objectives, to explore: (1) mothers’ knowledge and attitudes about HPV and HPV vaccination, (2) their knowledge and attitudes about cervical cancer and screening, and (3) whether their daughter’s HPV vaccination invitation was an opportunity to nudge mothers to attend screening.
Design
138 women from North Staffordshire completed a cross-sectional survey and 15 took part in follow-up focus groups.
Results
Despite high self-reported engagement with both the cervical screening and HPV vaccination programmes, relatively low levels of knowledge and some uncertainty were evident. There was mixed opinion about the potential of using the vaccination invite as an opportunity to nudge mothers to attend cervical screening.
Conclusion
Even amongst women who do engage positively with the programmes, knowledge is not as complete and certain as it could be. Further research is needed with women who are less likely to accept the vaccination for their daughters. Women need to be better informed, which may go some way to reversing the decline in screening and maintaining high levels of vaccination.
Data availability
The survey is available here: https://osf.io/h953r/. The data are available on request from the corresponding author for five years post publication.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1 We are unable to provide a response rate for the survey. For the online study, we have no way of knowing how many mothers would have seen or read the link to the survey since schools varied in texting the link or hosting it on their website. For the paper survey, we cannot be certain how many surveys were actually sent out by the schools since only 13 were returned.