Feasibility Trial of a Multi-level Media Production and Social Marketing Campaign to Reduce HPV Vaccine Hesitancy

Since 2019, the HPV working group of the University of Virginia Cancer Center's Southwest Virginia Community Advisory Board has developed and executed strategies to increase regional HPV vaccination rates. Members collaboratively developed Appalachian Voices for Health, a multi-level media production and social marketing intervention. This novel intervention builds on the past efforts of the working group and the engaged organizations; takes into account the impact of vaccine hesitancy on HPV vaccination uptake; and incorporates best practices. Through the intervention, Nursing and Dental Assistant students from Mountain Empire Community College will develop PSAs after receiving training about HPV vaccination and health communication. These PSAs will be used in a social marketing campaign executed through a regional transportation system managed by Mountain Empire Older Citizens. Specifically, the trial's aims are three-fold: assess the intervention's impact on community members' and students' HPV vaccine hesitancy (Aim 1) and perceptions and actions related to HPV vaccination (Aim 2) and evaluate other feasibility indicators at the community-, student-, organizational-, and process levels (Aim 3). The research team will use a concurrent mix-methods approach to assess feasibility indicators. Aims will be assessed using surveys, focus groups, meeting minutes, and implementation records. Data will be analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and content coding. Determination of the intervention's feasibility will consider the achievement benchmarks for feasibility indicators individually and collectively. Data will be used to inform refinement and future testing of Appalachian Voices for Health.