Integrating Dentists into HPV Vaccine Promotion: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Dental Academic Institution to Address Gaps in Oral and General Health
(1) Background: Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal cancer is the fastest-growing head and neck malignancy, yet vaccination coverage remains suboptimal. (2) Methods: In this cross-sectional survey conducted from April 2022 to April 2023, 400 parents of patients aged 8–18 years (mean...
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2025-07-01
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| author | David Lee Anita Joy-Thomas Gisela Bona Gregory Olson Alice Pazmino Lubna Fawad Ana Neumann |
| author_facet | David Lee Anita Joy-Thomas Gisela Bona Gregory Olson Alice Pazmino Lubna Fawad Ana Neumann |
| author_sort | David Lee |
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| description | (1) Background: Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal cancer is the fastest-growing head and neck malignancy, yet vaccination coverage remains suboptimal. (2) Methods: In this cross-sectional survey conducted from April 2022 to April 2023, 400 parents of patients aged 8–18 years (mean ± SD = 12.8 ± 2.6; 59.3% female) reported their child’s HPV vaccination status and willingness to initiate or complete the vaccine series at a dental clinic. For those who were not fully vaccinated, reasons for refusal were documented. (3) Results: Over half (54.5%, <i>n</i> = 218) of the children were not fully vaccinated. Notably, 21% (46/218) of parents indicated an immediate willingness to vaccinate their child if the dentist offered it—a significant potential for improvement compared to general healthcare settings. Reported barriers included preference for a physician’s office (43.6%), indecision (20.3%), unspecified concerns (14.5%), safety worries (8.1%), and religious objections (5.2%). Male and younger patients (9–11 years) showed significantly lower vaccination coverage (<i>p</i> < 0.05). (4) Conclusions: Dentists can substantially impact public health by integrating immunization counseling, interprofessional collaboration, and vaccine administration, thereby addressing critical gaps in HPV-related cancer prevention. These findings highlight the opportunity for dental offices to enhance vaccination rates and prompt further research, education, and policy initiatives to advance the oral and general health of our patients. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5ca0239716114e8ebbe6be8e5477ac96 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-5ca0239716114e8ebbe6be8e5477ac962025-08-20T03:36:35ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-07-011515826210.3390/app15158262Integrating Dentists into HPV Vaccine Promotion: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Dental Academic Institution to Address Gaps in Oral and General HealthDavid Lee0Anita Joy-Thomas1Gisela Bona2Gregory Olson3Alice Pazmino4Lubna Fawad5Ana Neumann6Department of Pediatric Dentistry, UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USADepartment of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences, UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USADepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USADepartment of Technology Service & Informatics, UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USADepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USADepartment of Pediatric Dentistry, UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USADepartment of General Practice and Dental Public Health, School of Dentistry, UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX 77054, USA(1) Background: Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal cancer is the fastest-growing head and neck malignancy, yet vaccination coverage remains suboptimal. (2) Methods: In this cross-sectional survey conducted from April 2022 to April 2023, 400 parents of patients aged 8–18 years (mean ± SD = 12.8 ± 2.6; 59.3% female) reported their child’s HPV vaccination status and willingness to initiate or complete the vaccine series at a dental clinic. For those who were not fully vaccinated, reasons for refusal were documented. (3) Results: Over half (54.5%, <i>n</i> = 218) of the children were not fully vaccinated. Notably, 21% (46/218) of parents indicated an immediate willingness to vaccinate their child if the dentist offered it—a significant potential for improvement compared to general healthcare settings. Reported barriers included preference for a physician’s office (43.6%), indecision (20.3%), unspecified concerns (14.5%), safety worries (8.1%), and religious objections (5.2%). Male and younger patients (9–11 years) showed significantly lower vaccination coverage (<i>p</i> < 0.05). (4) Conclusions: Dentists can substantially impact public health by integrating immunization counseling, interprofessional collaboration, and vaccine administration, thereby addressing critical gaps in HPV-related cancer prevention. These findings highlight the opportunity for dental offices to enhance vaccination rates and prompt further research, education, and policy initiatives to advance the oral and general health of our patients.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8262human papillomavirus vaccinecancer preventiondental providers |
| spellingShingle | David Lee Anita Joy-Thomas Gisela Bona Gregory Olson Alice Pazmino Lubna Fawad Ana Neumann Integrating Dentists into HPV Vaccine Promotion: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Dental Academic Institution to Address Gaps in Oral and General Health Applied Sciences human papillomavirus vaccine cancer prevention dental providers |
| title | Integrating Dentists into HPV Vaccine Promotion: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Dental Academic Institution to Address Gaps in Oral and General Health |
| title_full | Integrating Dentists into HPV Vaccine Promotion: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Dental Academic Institution to Address Gaps in Oral and General Health |
| title_fullStr | Integrating Dentists into HPV Vaccine Promotion: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Dental Academic Institution to Address Gaps in Oral and General Health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Integrating Dentists into HPV Vaccine Promotion: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Dental Academic Institution to Address Gaps in Oral and General Health |
| title_short | Integrating Dentists into HPV Vaccine Promotion: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Dental Academic Institution to Address Gaps in Oral and General Health |
| title_sort | integrating dentists into hpv vaccine promotion a cross sectional study in a dental academic institution to address gaps in oral and general health |
| topic | human papillomavirus vaccine cancer prevention dental providers |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8262 |
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