Evaluation of Theoretical Frameworks to Detect Correlates of HPV Vaccination in the Midwest, US, Using Structural Equation Modeling.

Knowledge of a valid, well-designed, and targeted theory-based framework helps better characterize reasons for HPV vaccine hesitancy and identify promising approaches to increase vaccination rates for eligible individuals. This study evaluated health theories in explaining factors affecting HPV vaccination and used a theoretical framework to identify direct and indirect predictors and mediators of HPV vaccination. A cross-sectional survey regarding HPV vaccine uptake and related factors was conducted among 1306 teenagers and young adults in the Midwest, US, in March and April 2023. Structural equation modeling confirmed fit of the framework based on the Integrated Health Theory (IHT) to the HPV vaccine data (Comparative Fit Index = 0.93; Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.92; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.053). While willingness to uptake the HPV vaccine directly predicted increased uptake (p < 0.001), perceived benefits (p < 0.001) and barriers (p < 0.023) about the vaccine indirectly predicted increased and decreased uptake, respectively. In turn, beliefs about susceptibility (p = 0.005) and severity (p < 0.001) of HPV infection and associated cancers and barriers to vaccination in general (p < 0.001) indirectly predicted willingness to uptake the vaccine. In conclusion, IHT can be appropriate in examining predictors of HPV vaccine uptake in teenagers and young adults in the US, particularly in the Midwest.

An Academic and Practice Partnership to Assess the Behavioral Health Needs of Nebraska.

Schools of Public Health have a commitment to engage in practice-based research and be involved in collaborative partnerships. In 2016 the faculty, staff, and students from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Public Health and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Behavioral Health collaborated to develop and administer a comprehensive assessment of the mental health and substance use disorder services provided by the Division of Behavioral Health. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process used to develop the trusting and mutually beneficial partnership and the data tools that were created and used to assess and determine the behavioral health needs. It is unrealistic to think that practitioners could undertake a project of this magnitude on their own. It is essential to have identified processes and systems in place for others to follow.

Behavioral Health Problems Presented to Integrated Pediatric Behavioral Health Clinics: Differences in Urban and Rural Patients.

Behavioral health diagnoses and service use may differ based on rurality. The purpose of this study was to examine the patterns of mental disorder diagnoses of urban, rural, and remote pediatric populations. This retrospective study used electronic medical records from integrated behavioral health clinics in Nebraska from 2012 to 2013. Bivariate and multivariable models were used to examine the differences in diagnoses. Adolescents with attention deficit and related disorders were more likely to be male, younger, have public insurance and rural/remote residents. Adjustment disorders were associated with being female, older, and urban residents. Adolescents with anxiety disorder had a significant interaction between age and gender, with both genders being older, having private insurance, and urban residents. Adolescents with mood disorder were more likely to be female, older, and urban residents. Demographic and clinical differences among patients in urban and rural/remote settings have implications for care in rural settings.

Factors related to incomplete treatment of breast cancer in Kumasi, Ghana.

PURPOSE: The burden of cancer in Africa is an enlarging public health challenge. Breast cancer in Ghana is the second most common cancer among Ghanaian women and the proportion of diagnosed patients who complete prescribed treatment is estimated to be very limited, thereby potentially adding to lower survival and poor quality of life after diagnosis. The objective of this study was to identify the patient and system factors related to incomplete treatment of breast cancer among patients. METHODS: This study was conducted at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana. We interviewed 117 breast cancer patients and next of kin of breast cancer patients diagnosed from 2008 to 2010. RESULTS: Islamic religion, seeking treatment with traditional healers, and lack of awareness about national health insurance coverage of breast cancer treatment were predictors of incomplete treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support that Ghanaian women with diagnosed breast cancer have multiple addressable and modifiable patient factors that may deter them from completing the prescribed treatment. The results highlight the need for developing and testing specific interventions about the importance of completing treatment with a special focus on addressing religious, cultural, and system navigation barriers in developing countries.

Gaps in survey data on cancer in American Indian and Alaska Native populations: examination of US population surveys, 1960-2010.

INTRODUCTION: Population-based data are essential for quantifying the problems and measuring the progress made by comprehensive cancer control programs. However, cancer information specific to the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) population is not readily available. We identified major population-based surveys conducted in the United States that contain questions related to cancer, documented the AI/AN sample size in these surveys, and identified gaps in the types of cancer-related information these surveys collect. METHODS: We conducted an Internet query of US Department of Health and Human Services agency websites and a Medline search to identify population-based surveys conducted in the United States from 1960 through 2010 that contained information about cancer. We used a data extraction form to collect information about the purpose, sample size, data collection methods, and type of information covered in the surveys. RESULTS: Seventeen survey sources met the inclusion criteria. Information on access to and use of cancer treatment, follow-up care, and barriers to receiving timely and quality care was not consistently collected. Estimates specific to the AI/AN population were often lacking because of inadequate AI/AN sample size. For example, 9 national surveys reviewed reported an AI/AN sample size smaller than 500, and 10 had an AI/AN sample percentage less than 1.5%. CONCLUSION: Continued efforts are needed to increase the overall number of AI/AN participants in these surveys, improve the quality of information on racial/ethnic background, and collect more information on treatment and survivorship.