To Örebro University

Background: To maintain sufficient vaccination rates for human papillomavirus (HPV), it is important to understand the experiences of the target group. Boys were included in the Swedish National Immunization program for HPV more recently, in 2020, than girls, so boys’ experiences of the program are relatively underexplored. This study therefore aimed to explore schoolboys’ experiences of information and communication regarding HPV vaccination.

Methods: The study had a qualitative explorative design. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11-year-old schoolboys (n = 13) and analysed using interpretive description.

Results: Three themes were identified: information and communication about HPV vaccination in school, schoolboys’ knowledge about HPV and the vaccination, and lack of family involvement in the HPV vaccination.

Conclusion: Boys lacked knowledge about HPV vaccination, and parents only partly involved the boys in the vaccination process. There is a need for school nurses to be given clear guidelines for informing boys and parents about HPV, and for the teachers to be provided with health education regarding HPV vaccination.

The overall aim of this thesis was to explore and describe children’s, parents’, and school nurses’ perspectives, attitudes, and knowledge of the HPV vaccination. Focus group interviews were performed with 17 school nurses to explore their experiences of offering the HPV vaccination to girls aged 10–12 years (Study I). Twenty parents (Study II) and 13 boys (Study IV) were interviewed face-to-face, the parents about their reasoning regarding the HPV vaccination and the boys about information and communication relating to HPV vaccination. A web-based questionnaire was answered by 206 children and 276 parents about their attitudes and knowledge about the HPV vaccination (Study III). The findings showed different perspectives on HPV vaccination from the children’s, parents’, and school nurses’ viewpoints. The school nurses played a significant role in the process of offering and administering the HPV vaccination (Studies I–IV). They provided information about HPV, and strove to avoid influencing the parents’ decision of whether to vaccinate their child (Study I). Teachers were also described as a source of information (Studies III–IV). Parents expressed trust in the Swedish vaccination program, but showed a lack of knowledge about HPV (Study II). Like the parents, the children showed a lack of knowledge, and were only partially involved in the decision-making process regarding HPV vaccination (III–IV). Overall, the vaccination process is complex, and the school nurse and the teacher play important roles. Children and parents need increased knowledge to make informed decisions regarding HPV vaccination.

The aim of this study was to investigate Swedish children’s and parents’ attitudes and knowledge about human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination a year after gender-neutral HPV vaccination was introduced in Sweden’s national immunization program (NIP). Additional information about HPV and vaccine was provided in the extended immunazation program. In total, 276 parents and 206 children from 22 School Health Services responded to a web-based survey. Results showed that half of the children and about a third of the parents received additional Public Health Agency information about HPV vaccination, and a majority were satisfied. Parents considered HPV vaccination being important for their children’s health, and both children and parents considered it important to vaccinate all genders against HPV. Both children and parents rated school nurses as most reliable source of HPV vaccination information. Teachers were also a common source of HPV and HPV vaccination information for children. Further research among teachers in Sweden is needed to explore their knowledge and abilities to inform students and parents about HPV and vaccination.

Background/Objective: This study aimed to investigate children’s’ and parents’ attitudes and knowledge about HPV (human papillomavirus) following introduction of gender-neutral HPV vaccination in the national immunization program (NIP) in Sweden. An evaluation of a tailored information package for parents and children launched by the Public Health Agency (PHAS) alongside the introduction of gender-neutral HPV vaccination was also performed 

Method: In total, 276 parents and 206 children from 22 School Health Services responded to a web-based survey, spring 2021 to January 2022.  

Result:  Overall, parents (78%) perceived HPV vaccination to be of importance for their child’s health. About half of the participating children and two thirds of the parents had used the tailored information package for the HPV vaccination. The fact sheet was mostly used by parents (55%) and children (20%) and also perceived as easy to understand (99% and 68% respectively). For both children and parents, the school nurse (70% respectively) was the primary source for information. The teacher (59%) was also a common source of information of HPV vaccination for the children.  

Conclusion: The school nurse is essential for informing about HPV vaccination for both children and parents. There is a need to strengthen the knowledge regarding HPV vaccination among teachers as they also are a key source of information for the majority of the children. Additional interventions are needed to support parents in making informed decisions for HPV vaccinations. 

Background/Objective: This study aimed to investigate children’s’ and parents’attitudes and knowledge about HPV (human papilloma virus) following introductionof gender neutral HPV vaccination in the national immunization program (NIP) inSweden. An evaluation of a tailored information package for parents and childrenlaunched by the Public Health Agency (PHAS) alongside the introduction of genderneutral HPV vaccination was also performed.

Method: In total, 276 parents and 206 children from 22 School Health Servicesresponded to a web-based survey, spring 2021 to January 2022.

Result: Overall, parents (78%) perceived HPV vaccination to be of importance fortheir child’s health. About half of the participating children and two thirds of theparents had used the tailored information package for the HPV vaccination. The factsheet was mostly used by parents (55%) and children (20%) and also perceived as easyto understand (99% and 68% respectively). For both children and parents the schoolnurse (70% respectively) was the primary source for information. The teacher (59%)was also a common source of information of HPV vaccination for the children.

Conclusion: The school health nurse is essential for informing about HPV vaccinationfor both children and parents. There is a need to strengthen the knowledge regardingHPV vaccination among teachers as they also are a key source of information for themajority of the children. Additional interventions are needed to support parents inmaking informed decisions for HPV vaccinations.POSTER 1Page 1

The aim of this study was to describe the experiences of Swedish school nurses when they offered the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination to girls aged 10–12 years. Four focus groups with a total of 17 school nurses were conducted and analyzed using inductive content analysis. The results showed that the school nurses were balancing between keeping a neutral role and the need to increase the uptake of the HPV vaccination. They described the consent forms and information that they gave the girls and their parents to help them make an informed decision about the vaccination. There were also ethical and moral dilemmas that arose with regard to the HPV vaccinations. Our findings demonstrate the need to provide school nurses with clear guidelines and support, so they can play an active role in interacting with the girls and their parents when they offer the HPV vaccination.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to describe parents’ reasoning in making decisions about vaccinating their daughters against human papilloma virus (HPV), a part of the Swedish vaccination programme.

Method: Twenty parents whose daughter had been offered HPV vaccination participated. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis.

Results: The findings reveal that the decision-making process is complex. The parents trusted the vaccination programme and saw it as beneficial to society. They also described using different resources to decide about HPV vaccination, but they did not include their daughters in making the decision.

Discussion: Parents need better vaccine and health literacy to be able to decide, based on evidence and in consultation with their daughters, on HPV vaccination. School nurses can play an important role in evidence-based decision-making about HPV vaccination and introducing children to this health-promoting intervention.

Background: In the Swedish school health system, girls 10-12 years old are vaccinated for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) with a vaccination coverage of 80%, which is less than other vaccinations in the national child vaccination program according to The Public Health Agency of Sweden. The aim of this study was to describe school nurse’s experience of offering HPV vaccination to girls, age 10-12 years old.

Methods: Focus group interviews (n=4) with school nurses (n=17) working in rural and urban areas. The analysis was based on Elo & Kyngäs content analysis.

Results: The school nurses had different strategies, abilities and presumptions when offering HPV vaccination. There were various ways to inform parents and girls  about HPV and HPV vaccination, but commonly they use information from the school health systems guidelines. It was found that school nurses experienced that there was a lack of knowledge about HPV among both school nurses, parents, girls. One of the problems that the school nurses had was to get the written consent from the parent. Without the written consent, the vaccination will not be performed.

Conclusions: The school nurse's vaccination assignment is complex. There are several factors that are important before the vaccination itself can be carried out.  How it is performed differs between the school nurses depending on strategy, ability and presumption. The results indicate that an increased knowledge and support in the daily work with HPV vaccination is needed in order to increase the HPV vaccination coverage in the long term.