Sociocultural Antecedents of HPV Vaccination Completion Among Mothers of Mexican Descent: the Mediating Role of Mother-Daughter Connectedness.

The Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the US and a leading cause of cervical cancer. Latinas have higher rates of cervical cancer incidence and mortality compared to non-Latina White women. The HPV vaccine is a primary form of prevention recommended for pre-adolescents but, vaccine completion of the two dose vaccine series is low among Latina adolescents. The purpose of the study was to investigate the association between sociocultural variables, mother-daughter connectedness, and communication about sexual health on HPV vaccine completion thereby moving beyond prior research that has focused on individual attitudes or provider recommendations. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 192 Latina mothers of Mexican descent. Linear regression and an exploratory model depicting associations between the variables and vaccination completion was tested through path analysis. Mother-daughter conversations about birth control emerged as the strongest predictor of vaccination completion. Indices of fit for a modified exploratory model were χ2(18) = 1.28 χ2/df = 5.76, p = .001; CFI = 0.96; TLI = 0.94; RMSEA = 0.03. Estimates of indirect effects indicated that mother-daughter connectedness had an indirect effect on comfort having sexuality-related conversations which in turn, had an indirect effect on conversations about birth control. Findings contribute by elucidating the nuanced mechanisms through which parental relationship quality and communication practices shape parental uptake of sexual and reproductive health behaviors for children. Findings respond to calls for culturally relevant family-level approaches to HPV vaccination.