An Assessment of Texas Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Rates
Date
Authors
ORCID
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Purpose: Previous studies have demonstrated significant differences in Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine rates between different regions of the US. However, an analysis of geographic variation of HPV vaccine uptake among different areas of Texas has not been investigated yet. This study examines the geographical variation in HPV vaccine rates within Texas. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the National Immunization Survey and Teen, 2017 (N=20,949). Logistic regression was used to model provider-verified HPV vaccination up-to-date status predicted by area of residence within Texas, while adjusting for the effects of sex, race/ethnicity, maternal education level, household income, and type of health insurance. Results: Approximately 42% of adolescents in Texas were up-to-date on the HPV vaccine, compared to 52% of adolescents in the US as a whole. Adolescents who lived in El Paso County [OR = 2.79, (95% CI: 1.86, 4.18)] or the City of Houston [OR = 2.04 (95% CI: 1.30, 3.21)] were more likely to be up-to-date on the HPV vaccine than adolescents who lived in other areas of Texas. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate a difference in HPV vaccine rates across different areas of Texas. Most previous research on regional differences among US adolescents attributed much of the variation to state-level policies. The results of this study suggest that there may be other factors contributing to HPV vaccine disparity within Texas and further research should be conducted to elucidate these factors.