Objective: This study aims to compare HPV vaccination rates, knowledge, and treatment decision-making between a predominantly white and Asian population.

Study Design: Cross-sectional survey-based study

Setting: Otolaryngology clinics at a tertiary academic center.

Methods: Descriptive statistics were utilized to assess rates of vaccination, HPV knowledge, and HPV vaccine treatment decision-making, with significance testing utilized to compare between the Asian American and non-Asians of the sample. Multivariable logistic regression was utilized to understand factors associated with vaccination.

Results: In this cohort (n=237), vaccination among adults (n=69, 29.4%) and their children (n=62, 51.2%) was low. Knowledge that the HPV vaccine is not recommended only for women was lower among the Asian cohort (66.7% vs. 79.9%; p=0.023), while knowledge that full protection requires more than one dose was higher among Asians (76.3% vs. 54.2%; p=0.001). Asians were more likely to report that when they did not receive HPV vaccination it was due to not being knowledgeable about the vaccine (52.6% vs. 17.4%; p<0.001). Among those with non-vaccinated children, Asians were more likely to report that their children were not vaccinated because they were not knowledgeable about the vaccine (40.0% vs. 32.4%; p=0.045), friends and family discouraged vaccination (12.0% vs. 0.0% p=0.038). In a multivariable regression of factors associated with HPV vaccination, only increased age showed significant association with likelihood (OR: 0.92 95%CI: 0.89-0.94).

Conclusion: This study generates hypotheses regarding reasons why Asian-Americans may be less likely to receive HPV vaccination, and it demonstrates a potential opportunity to improve HPV vaccination in this cohort.