Anticipated HIV Vaccine Acceptability among Sexually Active African-American Adult Women

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Julia Painter, Emory University; Clare Cene-Kush, affiliation; Alaina Conner, affiliation; Carrie Cwiak, Emory University; Lisa Haddad, Emory University; Mark Mulligan, Emory University; Ralph Diclemente, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2013-04-08
• Publisher: MDPI
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2013 by the authors
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/vaccines1020088
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Vaccines
• ISSN: 2076-393X
• Volume: 1
• Issue: 2
• Start Page: 88
• End Page: 104
• Grant/Funding Information: he project described was supported by Award Number [T32AI074492] from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Award Number [P30 AI050409] from Emory’s Center for AIDS Research. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institutes of Health, or Emory’s Center for AIDS Research.
• Keywords: HIV vaccine; behavioral theory; attitudes; women; acceptability
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, General; Psychology, Behavioral; Health Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology

Abstract

An HIV vaccine, once it becomes available, could reduce vulnerability to HIV among African-American women. The purpose of this study was to assess determinants of HIV vaccine acceptability among African-American women across hypothetical levels of vaccine efficacy. Participants were recruited from a hospital-based family planning clinic in Atlanta, GA serving low-income patients (N = 321). Data were collected from audio-computer assisted surveys administered in the clinic waiting room. Psychosocial survey items were guided by Risk Homeostasis Theory (RHT) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify determinants of acceptability for two hypothetical HIV vaccines with 50% and 90% efficacy. Overall, 63% of participants would accept a vaccine with 50% efficacy and 85% would accept a vaccine with 90% efficacy. In multivariate analyses, odds of acceptability for a vaccine with 50% efficacy were higher among participants with greater perceived HIV vaccine benefits (AOR = 1.13, p < 0.001) and lower among participants with more than high school education (AOR = 0.47, p = 0.033) and greater perceived costs of HIV vaccination (AOR = 0.95, p = 0.010). Odds of acceptability for a vaccine with 90% efficacy were higher among participants with greater perceived costs of unprotected sex (AOR = 1.08, p = 0.026), HIV vaccine benefits (AOR = 1.23, p < 0.001) and self-efficacy for sex refusal (AOR = 1.11, p = 0.044). HIV vaccine acceptability was high, particularly for a vaccine with 90% efficacy. Findings suggest that demographic and psychosocial factors may impact acceptability of an eventual HIV vaccine. Once an HIV vaccine is available, interventions to maximize uptake may benefit from using RHT and SCT constructs to target relevant psychosocial factors, such as perceived benefits and perceived costs of vaccination.