To combat the low rates of vaccination amongst college students, the UCLA Center for Cancer Prevention and Control Research in partnership with the Research Well pod of the Healthy Campus Initiative is conducting a study to investigate current HPV-related activities on campus and promising and feasible strategies to increase access to and use of HPV vaccination services among UCLA students. The study aims to learn what undergraduate students know about HPV and the HPV vaccine, the intention to vaccinate and vaccination rates amongst students of various genders and racial/ethnic backgrounds, and what strategies are recommended by Ashe Center providers and student organizations to inform students about the benefits of the HPV vaccine.
The study is being conducted by a team including Roshan Bastani, PhD; Beth Glenn, PhD; Burt Cowgill, PhD, and Catherine Crespi, PhD. Furthermore, the study will be conducted in collaboration with the Healthy Campus Initiative, the UCLA Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center, the Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC), and the Student Wellness Commission (SWC).
To accomplish the aims of the study, the researchers will take a mixed-methods approach, utilizing undergraduate focus groups, key informant interviews with health care providers, a review of Ashe Center data, and an online survey administered to undergraduate students. The study is incredibly innovative in its mixed-methods approach, but also in its location at UCLA and in its partnership with other key stakeholder groups. “Conducting this study at a large, public university offers a unique opportunity to assess HPV knowledge and vaccine coverage among a diverse group of young adults,” while the “partnership with key stakeholder groups from the outset will provide a strong foundation for future HPV vaccine promotion efforts”.
If you would like to learn more about the ResearchWell Pod and/or its HPV Study, please contact Dr. Burt Cowgill at bcowgill@ucla.edu.