Capella 4055 Assessment 1

Capella 4055 Assessment 1

Student Name

Capella University

NURS-FPX4055 Optimizing Population Health through Community Practice

Prof. Name

Date

Health Promotion Research

Human papillomavirus (HPV) prevention has become a crucial public health issue, especially for adolescents and young adults who are at the ideal age for HPV vaccination. Despite its importance, misinformation and lack of awareness continue to prevent many in this group from getting vaccinated, thereby increasing their risk of HPV-related cancers and diseases. Addressing this problem requires a thorough health promotion strategy that informs not only adolescents and young adults but also parents and educators about the significance of the HPV vaccine. Such a strategy must provide accurate information, resources, and improve access to preventive services (Schlecht et al., 2021). This research investigates HPV’s impact on youth health, identifies barriers to vaccination, and proposes targeted interventions to raise vaccination rates and foster a well-informed, protected community in Schwenksville, PA.

Population Analysis

The population focus for HPV prevention in Schwenksville, PA, is young people aged 11 to 26. HPV remains one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States, and vaccinating children is a key preventive measure against HPV-associated cancers. While Pennsylvania has a 68.7% HPV vaccination completion rate among adolescents aged 13 to 17, rural areas like Schwenksville lag behind with only 48.7% fully vaccinated (PA.gov, 2025). This disparity highlights the need for strategies tailored to minority and underserved groups to improve education, vaccine access, and acceptance.

Several barriers contribute to low vaccination coverage in Schwenksville. These include limited access to adolescent healthcare providers, lack of strong provider recommendations, and parental hesitancy often driven by insufficient or embarrassing information. Given Schwenksville’s semi-rural setting, families may face transportation challenges and infrequent health visits (Lipsky et al., 2025). Adolescents particularly lack sufficient knowledge about HPV’s long-term effects, and vaccination decisions are heavily influenced by their parents.

Points of Uncertainty and Underlying Assumptions

Because specific HPV vaccination data for Schwenksville are unavailable, this analysis assumes that HPV vaccination practices in Schwenksville resemble those in similar rural Pennsylvania areas. It also assumes that the cultural and socioeconomic factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy are comparable. However, unknown variables include local beliefs, education levels, and healthcare experiences unique to Schwenksville families. Moreover, the extent of school-based or community health HPV education remains unclear. Collecting detailed data through surveys or local health departments would help refine targeted interventions.

Community Characteristics and Relevance to the Broader Target Population

The primary target for this HPV prevention initiative is adolescents and young adults aged 11–26 and their caregivers in Schwenksville, a semi-rural borough of about 1,500 residents in Montgomery County, PA (Datausa, 2023). The population is predominantly White, working- or middle-class families. Healthcare access is limited compared to urban areas, with only a few clinics available locally, requiring residents to travel for specialized adolescent care.

Local schools and community centers serve as essential sources of health information and services. The community’s conservative values and the young age of many parents often inhibit open conversations about HPV vaccination (Kim et al., 2023). Therefore, health promotion efforts must be culturally sensitive, family-centered, and community-approved to effectively communicate the benefits of vaccination.

These characteristics mirror challenges faced by other rural populations in Pennsylvania and across the U.S., where barriers such as healthcare access, vaccine skepticism, and limited outreach programs impede HPV vaccination efforts. This model of community-based education and provider involvement can serve as a template for similar rural or semi-rural areas. For example, implementing school vaccination clinics and offering HPV information during parent-teacher meetings may reduce stigma and improve uptake (Kim et al., 2023).

Importance of HPV Prevention in Schwenksville

HPV prevention is particularly critical in Schwenksville due to its comparatively low adolescent vaccination rates. While the state reports nearly 69% vaccination coverage among adolescents, Schwenksville’s rate is substantially lower at 48.7% (PA.gov, 2025). Increasing vaccination is vital to reducing the risk of HPV-related cancers, including cervical, anal, and oropharyngeal cancers. Effective health promotion tailored to this community can reduce the long-term disease burden and improve overall public health.

Factors Contributing to Health and Health Disparities

Several factors drive vaccination disparities in Schwenksville. Limited access to specialized healthcare services in this rural area means residents often rely on a small number of clinics that may not consistently offer HPV vaccination programs. Public health outreach and education are less frequent in rural settings compared to urban centers, further limiting awareness and vaccine availability (Magana et al., 2023).

Cultural and social attitudes also play a significant role. Conservative values within the community can influence parents’ reluctance to vaccinate their children against a sexually transmitted infection. Additionally, misinformation and lack of awareness regarding HPV’s role in cancer prevention contribute to vaccine hesitancy (Zhang et al., 2023). Addressing these issues through culturally appropriate education is essential.

Need for Health Promotion

Targeted health promotion is necessary to overcome the barriers to HPV vaccination. Educational efforts should focus on both adolescents and their parents, highlighting the vaccine’s cancer-prevention benefits. Expanding access through school-based vaccination clinics and increasing community outreach can make vaccines more accessible and reduce missed opportunities (Zhang et al., 2023). Such strategies will support higher vaccination rates and improve health equity in Schwenksville.

SMART Health Goals for HPV Prevention

Goal	Description	Measurement	Relevance	Timeline	Expected Outcome
Goal 1	90% of participants will identify at least three key facts about HPV and its cancer link	Post-session quiz	Increases knowledge, counters misinformation	After educational session	Improved understanding of HPV and vaccine importance
Goal 2	80% of eligible participants or guardians will commit to scheduling the first HPV vaccine dose within 30 days	Verbal pledges/sign-ups	Encourages vaccine initiation	Within 30 days post-session	Increased vaccination initiation
Goal 3	85% of participants will report increased confidence discussing HPV vaccination with providers/family	Confidence scale pre- and post-session	Fosters communication and advocacy	Immediately post-session	Empowered participants advocating for HPV prevention

These goals target knowledge enhancement, behavioral commitment, and communication skills to foster vaccine uptake. Interactive methods such as visual aids, role-play, and handouts will support achievement of these objectives (Bowden et al., 2023; Zhang et al., 2023).

Conclusion

HPV vaccination is vital for improving adolescent and young adult health in Schwenksville, PA, where vaccine rates remain low. Barriers such as limited healthcare access, cultural beliefs, and health literacy contribute to this disparity. Implementing a focused health promotion strategy with clear, measurable SMART goals can enhance vaccine awareness and uptake. Through education and community engagement, Schwenksville can reduce HPV-related disease burden and work toward disease eradication.

References

Bowden, S., Doulgeraki, T., Bouras, E., Markozannes, G., Athanasiou, A., Grout-Smith, H., Kechagias, K. S., Zuber, V., Chadeau-Hyam, M., Flanagan, J. M., Tsilidis, K. K., & Kyrgiou, M. (2023). Risk factors for human papillomavirus infection, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer: An umbrella review and follow-up Mendelian randomisation studies. Biomed Central Medicine, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-023-02965-w

Datausa. (2023). Schwenksville, PA | Data USA. Datausa.io. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/schwenksville-pa

Kim, S., Ou, L., Larkey, L., Todd, M., & Han, Y. (2023). Developing a culturally and linguistically congruent digital storytelling intervention in Vietnamese and Korean American mothers of human papillomavirus–vaccinated children: Feasibility and acceptability study. JMIR Formative Research, 7, e45696. https://doi.org/10.2196/45696

Capella 4055 Assessment 1

Lipsky, M. S., Wolfe, G., Radilla, B. A., & Hung, M. (2025). Human papillomavirus: A narrative review for dental providers in prevention and care. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(3), e439. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22030439

Magana, K., Strand, L., Love, M., Moore, T., Peña, A., Ito Ford, A., & Vassar, M. (2023). Health inequities in human papillomavirus prevention, diagnostics and clinical care in the USA: A scoping review. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 99(2), 128–136. https://doi.org/10.1136/sextrans-2022-055587

PA.gov. (2025). Dear VFC provider. https://www.pa.gov/content/dam/copapwp-pagov/en/health/documents/topics/documents/programs/immunizations/3.3.25%20-%202025%20HPV%20Call-to-Action%20Letter%20and%20Resources.pdf

Schlecht, N. F., Diaz, A., Nucci-Sack, A., Shyhalla, K., Shankar, V., Guillot, M., Hollman, D., Strickler, H. D., & Burk, R. D. (2021). Incidence and types of human papillomavirus infections in adolescent girls and young women immunized with the human papillomavirus vaccine. Journal of American Medicine Association Network Open, 4(8), e2121893. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.21893

Zhang, L., Yang, J., Cao, Y., & Kang, W. (2023). Sociocultural–psychological predictors influencing parents’ decision-making regarding HPV vaccination for their adolescent daughters in mainland China: An extended TPB model. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1035658

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