HPV Vaccine Knowledge Attitudes and Beliefs Assessed at the 2013 & 2014 National Future Farmer's of America Conference: Louisville, KY 2013 & 2014

Background: Attendance at the 2014 National FFA Convention and Expo rose to 64,409 from 62,998 in 2013 and broke attendance records. Both years were held in Louisville, Kentucky. Future Farmers of America (FFA) Convention is attended by 88% students between the ages of 12 to 21, 8% former FFA members and agriculture and science teachers, 4% school administrators and guests. Thirty-nine percent live in small towns, 34% urban/suburban, and 27% rural farm. The National FFA provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 579,678 members.

Methods: The Kentucky Immunization Program had an educational booth set up in the vender hall at the conference and Immunization Program nurses asked anyone stopping by the table to complete a brief 1 page survey designed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of the HPV vaccine. Data analysis was conducted using Epi Info.

Results: 236 participants responded to the 2013 survey and 318 to the 2014 survey. Respondents reside across the U>S. representing 35 different states. Majority of respondents were 14 to 18 years of age. Both years there was a statistical difference between males and females having heard of the HPV vaccine. Also, both years there was a statistical difference between males and females having received the HPV vaccine. When comparing males alone between 2013 and 2014, males were 3.86 times more likely to have received the HPV vaccine in 2014 compared to 2013. No statistical difference between 2013 and 2014 for males having heard of the HPV vaccine.

Conclusions: There remains a discrepancy in awareness of HPV vaccine between genders in a predominately adolescent age group with uptake of vaccine lagging in males as well. More education on prevention of this important infectious disease is still needed.