Abstract A162: The influence of parental barriers to healthcare on adolescent HPV vaccination uptake and completion among Latinos in Los Angeles

Abstract Objective: This study aims to investigate the association between parental barriers to healthcare access and HPV vaccination uptake among Latino adolescents in Los Angeles. Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) induced cervical cancer (CC) remains a significant public health concern. Routine HPV vaccination has been recommended in the United States for girls since 2006 and boys since 2011 yet disparities in vaccine initiation and completion persist, particularly among Latino adolescents in Los Angeles. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed child data provided by mothers recruited from the Es Tiempo campaign (2016-2018). A total of 353 Latino adolescents aged 9 to 26 years were included in the sample. We used crosstabs to assess vaccine initiation and completion differences by child sex and birth order, while logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between parental barriers to healthcare, such as lack of health insurance and access to a primary care provider (PCP), and HPV vaccination initiation. Results: Among the sample, 44% initiated the HPV vaccine, and 23% completed the series, with significantly higher rates among girls and firstborn children. Regarding barriers, lack of health insurance was associated with decreased odds of HPV vaccination uptake while access to a PCP showed a slight increase in vaccination uptake odds. Conclusion: HPV vaccination uptake among Latino adolescents in Los Angeles remains suboptimal, with disparities observed by gender and birth order. To improve public health outcomes, targeted interventions are needed to increase HPV vaccination uptake among Latino adolescent boys, and further research is needed to understand vaccine adherence patterns within families and among siblings. Moreover, while parental barriers to healthcare may influence vaccination uptake, future studies should also explore how factors like parental education level and socioeconomic status influence HPV vaccination status in combination with access barriers. Citation Format: Anju F. Kane, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati. The influence of parental barriers to healthcare on adolescent HPV vaccination uptake and completion among Latinos in Los Angeles abstract. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr A162.