Utilizing the Reasoned Action Approach to Examine Differences in Attitudes and Beliefs of women who have and have not received the HPV Vaccine

Background: The HPV vaccine prevents transmission of cervical cancer and genital warts. Although at high risk for contracting HPV, less than half of college women have been vaccinated. The purpose of the study was to compare and contrast women who have been vaccinated to those who have not, utilizing the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA) global constructs as a framework.

Methods: Data were collected from 608 women employing an RAA-based survey. Utilizing three multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA), we examined differences in engagement in preventative health behaviors, perceived susceptibility and severity, and the three global constructs of RAA (attitude, perceived norm, perceived behavior control) among women who have and have not been vaccinated.

Results: Results indicated several differences in women based on vaccination status. Women who had been vaccinated had higher perceived susceptibility, more positive attitudes and perceived norms regarding vaccination, and were more likely to engage in other preventative health behaviors such as condom use during vaginal-penile sex. There were no significant differences between the two groups in regard to perceived severity and perceived behavioral control.

Implications: Utilizing theory-based study designs in which “doers’ and “non-doers” are compared may be beneficial in better understanding underlying determinants of preventative behaviors such as vaccination. Recommendations for intervention design utilizing the RAA will be discussed. Specifically, interventions should focus on improving attitudes towards vaccination and susceptibility to HPV among women who have not been vaccinated. Additionally, interventions may focus on targeting women’s salient referents such that they will encourage women to get vaccinated.