COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Mothers play a key role in who gets vaccinated against human papillomavirus, researchers at Ohio State University in Columbus say.
The researchers say college-age women who talked to their mothers about the HPV vaccine were more likely than others to get vaccinated.
"Mothers talking to their daughters were an important factor in whether young women were vaccinated," lead author Janice Krieger says in a statement. "It is an encouraging finding, because it shows that communication between mothers and daughters can be very helpful, even if it may be difficult sometimes."
Many mothers and daughters may be uncomfortable talking about the HPV vaccine, because it is designed to prevent the spread of a sexually-transmitted virus, Krieger said. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, Krieger says.
The study, published in Human Communication Research, concluded the key for a daughter getting the vaccine was a mother who was willing to discuss the vaccine and who felt the vaccine was safe and effective in preventing HPV-related diseases.
Krieger and colleagues looked at questionnaires answered by 182 mother-daughter pairs. The daughters were college students -- average age of 20. Overall, 137 pairs of of mother-daughter pairs had discussed the vaccine, and 45 pairs had not.
