The Impact of a Comic Book Intervention on East African-American Adolescents’ HPV Vaccine-Related Knowledge, Beliefs and Intentions

HPV vaccine uptake is low among East African-American (EAA) adolescents. We developed a comic book and evaluated the impact on HPV/HPV-vaccine knowledge, beliefs and vaccine intentions. The intervention was delivered to HPV-unvaccinated EAA adolescents attending educational dinners with their mothers. Adolescents aged 14–17 were sequentially assigned alternately to a pre- or post-test. Results were compared with chi-squared tests and generalized estimating equation models adjusted for age, gender, and mother’s language. Among 136 (pre-test = 64, post-test = 72) participants (90% Somali), pre/post differences were observed for proportions of correct responses to questions on HPV (44.0% vs. 82.9%, RR:1.87[95%CI 1.54–2.27]), HPV-vaccine knowledge (42.8% vs. 75.4%, RR:1.74[95%CI 1.46–2.07]), comfort discussing HPV/HPV vaccine with parents (57.8% vs. 90.3% somewhat/very comfortable, RR:1.55[95%CI 1.24–1.94]), and willingness (37.5% vs. 83.3% probably/definitely willing, RR:2.16[95%CI 1.55–3.01]) and intention (34.4% vs. 86.1% somewhat/very likely, RR:2.38[95%CI:1.69–3.37]) to get vaccinated. The intervention improved participants’ HPV/HPV-vaccine knowledge, beliefs and vaccine intentions. Similar interventions could be adapted for other racial/ethnic minorities.