Exploring HPV Knowledge, Awareness, Beliefs, Attitudes, and Vaccine Acceptability of Latino Fathers Living in the United States: An Integrative Review

To conduct an integrative review to identify and synthesize studies exploring human papillomavirus (HPV) knowledge, awareness, beliefs, attitudes, and acceptability of the HPV vaccine among Latino fathers living in the United States. The review methodology was informed by those developed by Whittemore and Knafl, which allow for the inclusion of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies. Using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews meta-analyses guidelines, five electronic databases (PubMed, Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Science Direct) were searched for peer-reviewed, full-text studies published in English with samples that included Latino fathers and examined knowledge, awareness, beliefs, attitudes about the HPV and the HPV vaccines. Studies that did not provide information on the inclusion of fathers in the sample were excluded. Identified eligible studies were analyzed and synthesized using the matrix method. Eleven eligible studies were identified. Most (n = 10) included mothers and fathers. One study included only fathers, and this study determined that although fathers held positive attitudes toward the HPV vaccine, a notable number of participants were unsure of or had not formed an opinion about the HPV vaccine. Fathers felt that a recommendation from their child’s physician would impact whether they vaccinated their child. Moreover, of the ten studies including both parents, only two specifically compared fathers’ and mothers’ knowledge and awareness about the HPV and vaccine acceptability. These two studies determined that fathers were less aware of the HPV and had lower HPV vaccine-related knowledge than mothers. Nevertheless, all of the 11 examined studies, found moderate to high acceptability of the HPV vaccine among Latino parents despite uncertainty about possible vaccine risks and costs. Only 11 studies were identified that included Latino fathers. Of these studies, only one was conducted exclusively with Latino fathers and two compared fathers and mothers. Additional research focusing on Latino fathers is needed given the central role of the family in the Latino culture and the shared role fathers and mothers have in decision-making related to their children’s health.