Dr Harriet Fisher’s doctoral work used a mixed methods approach to gain understanding of inequalities in the uptake of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme.

The PhD comprised the following objectives:

• to undertake a systematic review of the quantitative evidence related to inequalities in uptake of HPV vaccination programmes by young women internationally
• to analyse routine data to gather evidence on factors associated with lower uptake of the school-based HPV vaccination programme in the south west of England
• to synthesise the available qualitative literature reporting views and behaviours in relation to decision-making about HPV vaccination of young women in high-income countries
• to undertake a case study to understand barriers and facilitators to uptake of the school-based HPV vaccination programme in the south west of England from the perspectives of young women aged 12 to 13 years old and key stakeholders
• to propose recommendations to reduce inequalities in uptake of HPV vaccination programmes.

 

Publications: 

Batista Ferrer H, Trotter C, Hickman M, Audrey S. Barriers and facilitators to uptake of the school-based HPV vaccination programme in an ethnically diverse group of young women. Journal of Public Health (United Kingdom). 2016;38(3):569-577. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdv073

Fisher H, Harding S, Hickman M, Macleod J, Audrey S. Barriers and enablers to adolescent self-consent for vaccination: A mixed-methods evidence synthesis. Vaccine. 2019 Jan 14;37(3):417-429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.12.007

Audrey S, Batista Ferrer H, Ferrie J, Evans K, Bell M, Yates J et al. Impact and acceptability of self-consent procedures for the school-based human papillomavirus vaccine: A mixed-methods study protocol. BMJ Open. 2018 Mar;8(3). e021321. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2017-021321