Journal
PATIENT EDUCATION AND COUNSELING
Volume 77, Issue 2, Pages 308-313Publisher
ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2009.03.018
Keywords
HPV vaccine; Media coverage; Knowledge; Media exposure
Funding
- NCI NIH HHS [P20 CA095856, P50 CA095856, P50 CA095856-05] Funding Source: Medline
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Objective: In June 2006, the first vaccine for HPV was approved by the FDA and media coverage about the topic increased significantly. This study sought to explore the nature of the coverage and whether knowledge about HPV was affected by it. Methods: A content analysis, including 321 news stories from major newspapers, the AP wire and television news networks was conducted. A monthly RDD-recruited Internet survey with a national sample (n = 3323) was used to assess changes in population knowledge. Results: Twenty-three percent of stories did not mention the sexually transmitted nature of the disease and 80% left out information about the need for continued cervical cancer screening after vaccination. Exposure to health-related media content was significantly associated with knowledge about HPV, even controlling for baseline knowledge (OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.12-2.35). Conclusions: Changes in the volume of coverage over time were associated with knowledge about HPV, but the content analysis reveals that many of the stories were missing important information. Practice implications: Clinicians must consider the potential media source patients are using for HPV-related information in order to correct inaccurate or incomplete information that could affect health behavior. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
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