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HPV VACCINATION RATES IN A TRIAL TESTING A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN WITH MOTHERS OF TEENAGE DAUGHTERS

HPV VACCINATION RATES IN A TRIAL TESTING A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN WITH MOTHERS OF TEENAGE DAUGHTERS

Dr. David Buller, Director of Research from Klein Buendel, presented findings from the Health Chat Project at the virtual 33rd International Papillomavirus Conference & Basic Science, Clinical and Public Health Workshops (IPVC), July 20-24, 2020.

Parental decisions on HPV vaccine uptake in the United States are influenced by information and misinformation about the vaccine in social media. Mothers’ reports on vaccination of their adolescent daughters were examined in an evaluation of a social media adolescent health campaign.

For this intervention, 881 mothers from 34 states were recruited into a randomized controlled trial evaluating a social media adolescent health campaign. Eligibility criteria included having a daughter aged 14-17, in state without a complete ban on indoor tanning by minors, using a Facebook account one or more times a week, completing the baseline survey, and joining the Facebook group. The campaign included didactic and narrative posts some of which promoted HPV vaccination, such as the need for vaccine, percent of adolescents vaccinated, and how HPV vaccines are decreasing infection rates. It was delivered through two Facebook private groups differing on inclusion of indoor tanning or prescription drug mis-use posts .

At baseline, nearly two-thirds of mothers reported that their daughters had been vaccinated for HPV. HPV vaccine uptake increased during the 12-month social media campaign. At the 12-month posttest, nearly 8% more mothers reported that daughters had been vaccinated for HPV. The increase appeared to be largest in completion of the multi-dose series. Uptake increased among older and more educated mothers and those with a family history of skin cancer. Mothers’ reports of HPV vaccine uptake were corroborated by daughters. Effective strategies are needed in social media to promote HPV vaccines and counter misinformation about and resistance to them.

This research is funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (CA192652; Dr. David Buller, Klein Buendel, and Dr. Sherry Pagoto, University of Connecticut, Multiple Principal Investigators). Collaborators include Jessica Oleski from the University of Connecticut, Dr. Katie Baker and Dr. Joel Hillhouse from East Tennessee State University, Dr. Kim Henry from Colorado State University, and Dr. Barbara Walkosz and Julia Berteletti from Klein Buendel.

A Tablet-delivered Intervention to Reduce Risky Behavior in Adolescents

A Tablet-delivered Intervention to Reduce Risky Behavior in Adolescents

Klein Buendel collaborator, Dr. Christopher Houck from Rhode Island Hospital, will present findings from Project TRAC at the Society of Research on Adolescence Biennial Meeting in San Diego, California, March 19-21, 2020. His presentation will also include a demonstration of the targeted games used in the intervention.

The team initially developed and validated an Emotion Regulation (ER) intervention for reducing risk behaviors among early adolescents. Project TRAC showed that adolescents who learned about sexual health information with ER content were significantly less likely to transition to sexual activity. Despite the promise of targeting ER during early adolescence to prevent risk behaviors, discussions with community partners suggest that the original facilitator-led small-group format is difficult to sustain. Disseminating this prevention approach required a format that was less reliant on specialized training that could be easily implemented to an individual format. Therefore, through advisory panels of early adolescents and consultation from a group of experts in the field, Project TRAC was translated from a small-group format to a tablet-delivered, game-based program.

Acceptability testing took place with ten adolescents followed by 85 adolescents who participated in a small randomized pilot trial to assess the feasibility of the digital intervention as well as preliminary assessment of short-term changes in ER. Those randomized to the intervention condition completed four computerized modules that taught emotion concepts through games and instructional videos. Control participants were waitlisted to complete the intervention at the end of the study and all adolescents completed surveys at baseline and one month later.

Participants positively rated the intervention with a majority completing all four modules. Intervention participants self-reported significant improvements, including emotional awareness, perceived access to ER strategies, use of the strategies taught in the intervention, intentions to use these strategies, emotional knowledge, and perceptions that emotions are changeable. They also reported a moderate effect of poorer perceptions of abilities to manage positive emotions.

Results suggest that a tablet-based intervention providing ER training was able to affect adolescents’ use of ER behaviors, understanding of emotions, and perceptions of emotional competence. Linking ER training to specific areas of risk (sexual health, substance use, or violence prevention) in the developmental window when risk behaviors are beginning, such as early adolescence, may prevent risk behaviors for many young people. Dissemination of evidence-based interventions through tablet formats may also improve the reach of effective interventions.

This research is funded by a grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD089979; Dr. Christopher Houck, Principal Investigator). Other collaborators include Wendy Hadley from the University of Oregon; Crosby Modrowski and Kelsey Bala from Brown University; Brittany Wickham from Villanova University; and Dr. Valerie Myers and Tiffany Jerrod from Klein Buendel.

An Implementation Model for the Cost-effective Scale-up of the Sun Safe Workplaces Program

An Implementation Model for the Cost-effective Scale-up of the Sun Safe Workplaces Program

Dr. David Buller and Dr. Barbara Walkosz from Klein Buendel presented a poster on a new implementation model for the cost-effective scale-up of an occupational sun protection program at the 12th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health in Washington, DC, December 4-6, 2019. The poster was nominated for Best Poster from the Prevention and Public Health Division.

Scale-up is the effort to increase the impact of successful programs to benefit more people on a lasting basis. Scale-up efforts must increase reach, retain effectiveness, and lower costs to provide greater access to benefits and close the research-to-practice gap between effective programs and real-world application. This project is studying the nationwide scale-up of an occupational sun safety intervention, Sun Safe Workplaces, with state Departments of Transportation (DOTs), a public works sector with thousands of outdoor workers.

Costs of national distribution can be daunting and influence intervention intensity and program effectiveness. Identifying cost-effective scale-up strategies is essential for moving research into practice. The new framework draws upon existing implementation models, including those developed for occupational health and safety, and operationalizes implementation for scale-up within RE-AIM. The RE-AIM framework was adapted for this new framework by incorporating cost as a primary factor.

In a randomized trial, Sun Safe Workplaces (SSW) is assessing implementation rate and costs associated with two methods of scaling-up SSW. The original intervention depended on personal visits with managers, materials promoting sun protection policies and education, in-person sun safety training for employee groups, and on-going follow-up communication with managers supporting sun safety (SSW-IP), a resource-intensive form of intervention. Now SSW-IP is being contrasted to a scale-up strategy that uses web-based and telephone conferencing, responsive training platforms, and electronic resources for virtual contacts and training (SSW-T). Technology-based programs have the potential to deliver standardized, engaging content and increase portability while decreasing cost of delivery to enable reaching more employers when scaled-up to nationwide distribution. Districts within DOTs are randomized to one of the two scale-up methods. The SSW-IP and SSW-T interventions are being delivered in 21 state DOTs with 141 districts.

This research is funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (CA134705; Dr. David Buller and Dr. Barbara Walkosz, Multiple Principal Investigators). Additional poster coauthors include Dr. Richard Meenan from the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research; and Mary Buller, Rachel Eye, Andrew Grayson, and Savanna Olivas from Klein Buendel.