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Examining the Influence of Religious and Spiritual Beliefs on HPV Vaccine Uptake Among College Women

Journal of Religion and Health volume 58, pages 2196–2207 (2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is an effective mechanism to prevent HPV-associated cancers; however, uptake is low among women aged 18–26. Religiosity/spirituality is associated with sexual health decision-making. This study examined the role of religious/spiritual beliefs on HPV vaccination among college women (N = 307) using logistic regression and mediation analyses. Findings indicate that sexual activity is the main factor associated with HPV vaccination; and sexual activity fully mediates the relationship between religious/spiritual beliefs and HPV vaccination. Health promotion efforts should highlight the importance of HPV vaccination regardless of current sexual activity and may benefit from partnerships with religious/spiritual organizations.

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Funding

This study was funded by an Interdisciplinary Research Grant from the USF College of Public Health awarded to Dr. Cheryl Vamos (co-author on the manuscript).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Public Health, University of South Florida, 13201 Bruce B. Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA

    Alicia L. Best, Abdullahi Musa Adamu, Rachel Logan, Jennifer Delva, Manuela Thomas, Eden Cunningham, Cheryl Vamos & Ellen Daley

  2. Department of Health Behavior and Health Systems, School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA

    Erika L. Thompson

Authors
  1. Alicia L. Best
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  2. Erika L. Thompson
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  3. Abdullahi Musa Adamu
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  4. Rachel Logan
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  5. Jennifer Delva
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  6. Manuela Thomas
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  7. Eden Cunningham
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  8. Cheryl Vamos
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  9. Ellen Daley
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alicia L. Best.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Cite this article

Best, A.L., Thompson, E.L., Adamu, A.M. et al. Examining the Influence of Religious and Spiritual Beliefs on HPV Vaccine Uptake Among College Women. J Relig Health 58, 2196–2207 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00890-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-019-00890-y

Keywords

  • Human papillomavirus (HPV)
  • HPV vaccination
  • Religion
  • Spirituality
  • Sexual health
  • College students