(1142) Evaluating Health Literacy and HPV Immunization Rates Amongst College Students While Implementing Student Pharmacist Led Clinics

Objectives: College-age individuals are currently at the highest risk of contracting infection by Human papillomavirus infection (HPV), but simultaneously are the age group with the lowest HPV vaccination rates; a nationwide survey conducted in 2022 revealed that 53% of college students, 41% men and 57% women, had completed the HPV vaccination series. Trends exist that show patients with higher health literacy tend to have higher rates of receiving the HPV vaccine. By targeting diverse populations of various Florida college campuses, a robust perspective of college students’ health literacy will be obtained. A goal through survey dissemination is to identify what gaps in knowledge regarding the HPV vaccine exist, including potential stigmas and misconceptions. As exposed by the pandemic, pharmacists are vital healthcare providers in improving vaccine administration rates and increasing access to point-of-care testing due to accessibility for patients. A benefit to having pharmacists and student pharmacists target HPV vaccination advocacy amongst adolescents and college students is the ability display the accessibility of the pharmacy profession these patients. The primary objective of this study is to identify health literacy and the influence of social determinants on the decision to receive or reject the HPV vaccine amongst college students, and to increase the rate of HPV vaccine administration amongst college students. Secondary objectives of this project are to identify individual eligibility to receive the HPV vaccine by student pharmacist screening, set up vaccination clinics to serve student populations at university practice sites, and increase the rate of HPV vaccine administration amongst college students.

Methods: This cross-sectional study will be conducted online utilizing Microsoft Forms. A link to the survey will be emailed using Palm Beach Atlantic University’s student email list and electronic access will be provided to patients in-person at traveling vaccine clinics. The survey will remain open for 60 days with a reminder sent on day 15 and 45. The traveling vaccine clinics will be coordinated and implemented by student pharmacists with an overseeing licensed pharmacist. A 1:5 ratio of pharmacists to student pharmacists will occur at each clinic. Areas identified for clinics include two at Palm Beach Atlantic University campuses, located in West Palm Beach and Orlando, two at Florida Atlantic University campuses, located in Boca Raton and Jupiter campuses, and two at Palm Beach State College campuses, located in West Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens. Descriptive statistics will be used to analyze the results of the study.

Results: Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval is anticipated in November 2023. The survey will be created between October 2023 and December 2023. The survey will be distributed in January 2024 through February 2024, with data analysis in March 2024. The educational toolkit will be developed by May 2024.

Conclusions: The authors aim to gain an understanding of the health literacy regarding the HPV vaccine and to increase immunization rates amongst college students. We anticipate identifying trends of health literacy and potential barriers to the HPV vaccination across the different college campuses surveyed. The knowledge gained from this survey can help with creating educational tools that aid in increasing vaccination rates across college campuses.