Boosting Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Rates: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial of Awareness Interventions in Réunion Island.

backgroundHuman papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection worldwide and imposes a significant public health burden. In 2019, HPV was responsible for approximately 620,000 cancer cases in women, 70,000 in men, and more than 300,000 deaths globally. Despite the proven efficacy of the vaccine, vaccination rates remain alarmingly low in certain regions of France. In Réunion Island, only 16% of girls and 9% of boys under 16 years old were fully vaccinated in 2024. This underscores the need for increased awareness, education, and outreach programs. Peer learning is well-established in health education, whereas serious game-style card games are newer and require further research. Both methods have been shown to improve knowledge on specific topics.

objectiveThe main objective of this study is to assess the impact of 2 awareness-raising strategies on increasing HPV vaccination rates among middle school students by actively involving them in the process.

methodsThis protocol describes the design of a randomized, open-label, controlled trial aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of 2 awareness-raising interventions-peer learning and a card-based serious game-in improving HPV vaccination rates among middle school students in Réunion Island. The study will span an entire school year, beginning in August. Approximately 3600 students from 24 middle schools in Réunion Island will be included, with schools randomized into 3 groups of 8 each: (1) a control group receiving the existing national vaccination campaign initiated by the French public health institute; (2) ambassador classes, whose students will receive education about the HPV vaccine and later educate other students in the same school; and (3) serious game card group, where students can play and learn about HPV during a science class. The primary outcome will be the proportion of teenagers who initiate the vaccination process, compared across the 3 groups using appropriate statistical methods. Anonymized data will be collected at the end of the school year using social security records. Teenagers' knowledge of HPV will be assessed both before and 3 months after each intervention, and satisfaction will also be evaluated after the intervention in each group.

resultsAs of May 2025, a preliminary result enrolling 124 students showed an increase in vaccination coverage after students played a serious game. We expect higher vaccination rates in the intervention groups compared with the control group, although it is difficult to predict which strategy will be more effective. The estimated target vaccination coverage for groups b and c is 45%.

conclusionsThis study aims to improve HPV vaccination rates among teenagers in Réunion Island by evaluating the impact of 2 awareness-raising strategies using innovative and engaging tools. If successful, this approach could be adapted and implemented in other regions of France or internationally. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/73366.