The Influence of Religiosity and Spirituality on Rural Parents' Health Decision Making and Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Choices

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Tami Thomas, Emory University; Amy Blumling, Emory University; Augustina Delaney, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2015-10-01
• Publisher: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: Copyright © 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/ANS.0000000000000094
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Advances in Nursing Science
• ISSN: 0161-9268
• Volume: 38
• Issue: 4
• Start Page: E1
• End Page: E12
• Grant/Funding Information: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars Program, #67893: Prevalence and Correlates of HPV Vaccination in Rural Areas; 1R03NR013558-01 National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research: Tailoring an Intervention with Parents in Rural Areas to Reduce HPV Transmission; and L60MD007271 National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities: HPV in Rural Areas.
• Keywords: nursing; health disparities; parents; MEN; AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN; PREVENTION; HIV/AIDS; CONNECTION; CERVICAL-CANCER; PROMOTION; religion/spirituality; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; FAITH; Nursing; Science & Technology; UNITED-STATES; human papillomavirus; COMMUNITIES
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Nursing

Abstract

General health implications of religiosity and spirituality on health have been associated with health promotion, so the purpose of this study was to examine the influence of religiosity and spirituality on rural parents' decision making to vaccinate their children against human papillomavirus (HPV). The associations of religiosity and spirituality with parental HPV vaccine decisions were examined in a sample of parents residing in small rural communities (N = 37). Parents of children aged 9 to 13 years participated in focus groups held in rural community contexts. Religiosity (ie, participation in religious social structures) was a recurring and important theme when discussing HPV vaccination. Spirituality (ie, subjective commitment to spiritual or religious beliefs) was found to influence the ways in which parents perceived their control over and coping with health issues potentially related to HPV vaccination. Together, religiosity and spirituality were found to play integral roles in these parents' lives and influenced their attitudes toward HPV vaccination uptake for their children.