HPV Vaccination and Health Literacy in High School Students
This paper presents a PICOT question exploring whether distributing information about the HPV vaccine to high school students can decrease the prevalence of teen HPV infections. Drawing on two peer-reviewed studies — Perkins et al. (2016) and Lamb et al. (2018) — the paper establishes that communication failures are a primary barrier to vaccine completion and that the quadrivalent HPV vaccine is effective in reducing condyloma risk. The paper proposes concrete dissemination strategies, including pamphlets, face-to-face presentations, intranet communications, nursing publications, and social media, as evidence-based approaches for improving HPV health literacy and promoting vaccination among adolescents.
- Introduction and PICOT Question: PICOT question linking HPV information to teen infection rates
- Evidence from the Literature: Findings from Perkins et al. and Lamb et al. studies
- Dissemination Strategies for Health Literacy: Pamphlets, presentations, and digital channels for outreach
- Implementing Evidence-Based Practice: Applying health literacy strategies in clinical settings
- Conclusion: Preventive care outcomes and organizational implementation steps
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What makes this paper effective
- Grounds every claim directly in cited evidence, consistently linking the PICOT question back to two specific peer-reviewed studies.
- Balances theoretical justification (why health literacy matters) with concrete, practical dissemination strategies nurses can realistically implement.
- Clearly articulates potential negative outcomes of inaction, giving the argument a preventive-care framework that strengthens clinical relevance.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates effective PICOT question construction and integration: each major claim is mapped back to the structured question (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Time), and study findings are used to validate specific components of that question. This is a core competency in evidence-based nursing practice.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens by identifying the evidence-based practice (increasing HPV health literacy), then introduces the PICOT question and justifies its nursing significance. It follows with a study-by-study literature review, drawing one key nursing implication from each article. It then outlines dissemination strategies (printed materials, presentations, nursing associations, digital channels) before describing how the author would move from information sharing to active clinical implementation. A brief conclusion ties outcomes back to preventive care principles.
Introduction and PICOT Question
The PICOT question for this paper is: In high school students, will distributing information about the HPV vaccine decrease the prevalence of teen HPV infections?
One nursing practice supported by the evidence in the literature is that increasing HPV health literacy among students will help promote HPV vaccination and thus reduce the risk of HPV infection spreading (Perkins, Chigurupati, & Apte, 2016; Lamb, Herweijer, Ploner et al., 2018). By increasing health literacy and the advancement of knowledge and information among the target population — high school students — that population is more likely to be informed of the risks of not getting vaccinated for HPV, how the vaccinations work, and why the spread of HPV should be a concern to them in the first place (Perkins et al., 2016; Lamb et al., 2018).
Possible consequences of failing to adopt the strategy of increasing health literacy regarding evidence-based HPV vaccination — which is an effective strategy for mitigating the risk of HPV transmission (Lamb et al., 2018) — are that students will fail to recognize the significance of the issue and will not take steps to protect themselves. Uninformed students are less likely to seek vaccination, and the more they learn about HPV and the HPV vaccine, the more likely they are to receive it.
The significance of this PICOT question for nursing practice lies in the fact that HPV infections are a healthcare concern that nurses must address. Distributing information about the HPV vaccine is a form of health literacy that nurses can engage in to help reduce the rate of infection. As the literature shows, the HPV vaccine is effective in reducing the risk of infection (Lamb et al., 2018), and health literacy is effective in spreading knowledge and raising awareness about HPV and how vaccination can help prevent it (Perkins et al., 2016).
Evidence from the Literature
In the study by Perkins et al. (2016), the researchers found that a failure of communication is often what leads to a failure to vaccinate for HPV. The researchers conducted semi-structured interviews and analyzed transcripts using content analysis to identify themes explaining why teenage girls were not receiving HPV vaccinations. The conclusion they reached was that "most failure to complete the HPV vaccine series occurred because providers expected parents to make appointments while parents expected to be reminded," and the recommendation given was that "increased use of reminder/recall systems and clear communication of expectations regarding appointment scheduling could improve completion rates" (Perkins et al., 2016, p. vi).
One nursing implication supported by Perkins et al. (2016) is that communicating with individuals who could benefit from the HPV vaccination is essential in ensuring that vaccines are received. When healthcare providers do not follow up with patients or invest in health literacy, patients face a greater risk of not receiving their vaccination and potentially contracting HPV as a result.
In the study by Lamb et al. (2018), the researchers found that "a two-dose schedule for qHPV vaccine with 4–7 months between the first and second doses may be as effective against condyloma in girls and women initiating vaccination under 20 years as a three-dose schedule." The researchers conducted a register-based nationwide open cohort study in Sweden to determine the effectiveness of the quadrivalent human papillomavirus (qHPV) vaccine by time since first vaccine dose, in girls and women initiating vaccination before age 20.
One nursing practice supported by Lamb et al. (2018) is that vaccinating for HPV is an effective strategy for mitigating the risk of HPV transmission. The study shows that when girls are vaccinated, the risk of developing condyloma is significantly reduced; thus, nurses should actively promote vaccination among target patients.
Dissemination Strategies for Health Literacy
Information about this evidence-based practice could be disseminated throughout a school by printing pamphlets, leaflets, and fliers that can be posted on bulletin boards or displayed in the school nursing office where students may see them. If students have access to an intranet, information could also be shared via intranet email.
Communication could also be achieved through presentations for students at the high school, allowing face-to-face time with a registered nurse. Students can ask questions and hear real-life accounts of what HPV can do and why the research supports getting vaccinated. This type of face-to-face presentation can be highly impactful because it supports health literacy in a direct way that printed materials alone cannot replicate. Individuals can engage in a two-way exchange in which information is presented and questions are answered, greatly facilitating the educative effect that health literacy aims to achieve.
The importance of increasing health literacy about HPV vaccination could also be communicated through nursing associations, nursing blogs, nursing bulletin boards, and nursing publications. The more nurses engage in continuing education, the more likely they are to appreciate how health literacy can be used to help reduce the risk of HPV transmission among students.
Conclusion
Moving from disseminating information to implementing this practice within an organization would involve making printed informational materials available for patients at all times, ensuring that reading material is always accessible, and being available to answer any questions patients may have. This approach ensures that the evidence-based practice of promoting HPV health literacy translates into measurable, real-world reductions in the risk of HPV transmission among the target population.
References
Lamb, F., Herweijer, E., Ploner, A., Uhnoo, I., Sundström, K., Sparén, P., & Arnheim-Dahlström, L. (2018, January 12). Timing of two versus three doses of quadrivalent HPV vaccine and associated effectiveness against condyloma in Sweden: A nationwide cohort study. BMJ, 1–8.
Perkins, R. B., Chigurupati, N. L., Apte, G., Vercruysse, J., Wall-Haas, C., Rosenquist, A., … Pierre-Joseph, N. (2016). Why don't adolescents finish the HPV vaccine series? A qualitative study of parents and providers. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 12(6), 1528–1535. http://doi.org/10.1080/21645515.2015.1118594
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