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Background: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States of America (USA) and it is associated with six types of cancers. Vaccines that protect against HPV infection have been introduced since 2006. Despite many national efforts, vaccination rates remain under 80% and many individual and systematic barriers influence HPV vaccine uptake and completion. Addressing the stem of these barriers at a national level and their regional differences, will help in understanding necessary policies for the acceptance of HPV vaccine. Objective: This study aims to describe the frequency of immunization program managers’ perceptions of the most relevant barriers to HPV vaccination in each national jurisdiction. Methods: Immunization Program Managers (IPMs) in the USA were surveyed from August 2021 to February 2022 as part of the Implementation of School-Entry Policies for Papilloma Virus Vaccination (HPV-PIVac) study with the collaboration of the Association of Immunization Managers. We gathered IPMs perceptions on the most relevant barriers to HPV vaccination within their jurisdiction. Four vaccine barriers were evaluated; for each one, IPMs reported the level (moderate, significant, no barrier) in a three-item scale. The three-item scale was merged into a two-item scale (low/high) and multiple answers from the same state were grouped. Descriptive analysis was performed for each question and results were mapped. Fisher’s exact test was performed to determine the relation between barriers. IPMs that refused or didn’t know their jurisdiction’s barriers were removed from the analysis. Results: 49 IPMs from 31 states and territories participated, resulting in a 53.4% participation rate. For the cost barrier to complete HPV vaccination of children, most IPMs perceived low barriers (51.7%) within their jurisdiction. For the perception of geographical difficulties to complete HPV vaccination, higher barriers (67.9%) were reported among participants. Limited number of providers offering the HPV vaccine was perceived equally as low or high level (50.0%), whereas lack of a strong provider recommendation or failure of providers to discuss and strongly recommend the HPV vaccine was the most significant barrier with a higher level (96.7%). Fisher’s exact test indicated independency between all barriers (p>0.05). For most variables, the Western region reported a greater level of barriers. Conclusion: This analysis documents the IPMs perception of prevalent HPV vaccine barriers for vaccine initiation and completion nationally. These results confirmed the need of further engagement for the accessibility of the vaccine, as preliminary data from NIS-Teen 2021 shows an average adolescent HPV vaccine initiation and UTD coverage of 78.2 and 62.7, respectfully. Funding: NCI Grant #R01CA232743 Citation Format: Alondra Katerina Mercado-Andino, Erick L. Suárez-Pérez, Olga L. Díaz-Miranda, Diana T. Medina-Labees, Ana P. Ortiz, Katelyn Wells, Vivian Colón-López. Vaccination barriers for HPV vaccine initiation and completion: A perception analysis using the Association of Immunization Managers annual survey [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 721.

Background Functional disability continues to be a significant public health problem that increases older adults’ vulnerability to experience a diminished quality of life, loss of independence, higher healthcare costs and health services utilization, and increased risks of mortality. Thus, we aimed to study the prevalence of functional disabilities by sex according to the types of daily living activities, controlling for specific sociodemographic variables among older Hispanics from low-income communities. Methods We used a cross-sectional epidemiological research design, considering a complex sampling design of households to interview adults ≥65 years living in low-income communities in Puerto Rico. Functional disability was measured by the PROMIS® Physical Function Short Form-20 T-score. The selected community was reported to have 5980 adult residents ≥65 years, according to the USA Census. The prevalence of functional disability was estimated using the logistic regression model, weighting by the effect of the sampling. Our estimated prevalence was compared between sexes using the prevalence ratio (PR), which was estimated with logistic regression models, controlling for age, income, number of chronic conditions, high and low impact of chronic conditions in functional disabilities, marital status, and sampling design. Results We recruited 211 older Hispanics from a randomly selected sample. Their mean age was 74.4 ± 7.1 years, with female predominance (57.3%). The overall estimated prevalence of physical function disability using T-score among females was 2.70 (95% CI: 1.4, 5.1) times the estimated prevalence of physical function disability among males. Women were more likely to report functional disabilities in instrumental activities of daily living, self-care activities, and functional mobility compared to males. However, sex differences were largely explained by the presence of musculoskeletal conditions of high impact in functional disability. Conclusions The females in our study bear the greater burden of physical function disability in their adult age. Health policies, as well as future studies, should be targeted at reducing the burden of physical function disabilities in different types of daily activities through gender-sensitive disability self-management programs.

Background: Functional disability continues to be a significant public health problem that increases older adults’ vulnerability to experience a diminished quality of life, loss of independence, higher healthcare costs and health services utilization, and increased risks of mortality. Thus, we aimed to study the prevalence of disabilities by sex according to the types of daily living activities, controlling for specific sociodemographic variables among older Hispanics from low-income communities.Methods: We used a cross-sectional epidemiological research design, considering a complex sampling design of households to interview adults ≥65 years living in low-income communities in Puerto Rico. Functional disability was measured by the PROMIS ® Physical Function Short Form-20 T-score. The prevalences of disability were estimated using the logistic regression model, weighting by the effect of the sampling. Our estimated prevalences were compared between sexes using the prevalence ratio (PR), which was estimated with logistic regression models, controlling for age, income, number of chronic conditions, high and low impact of chronic conditions in functional disabilities, marital status, and sampling design.Results: We recruited 211 older Hispanics from randomly selected sample. Their mean age was 74.4 ± 7.1 years, with female predominance (57.3%). The estimated prevalence of physical function disability using T-score among females was 2.70 (95% CI: 1.4, 5.1) times the estimated prevalence of physical function disability among males. Women were more likely to report functional disabilities in instrumental activities of daily living, self-care activities, and functional mobility compared to males. These sex differences were largely explained by differences in disability-related chronic conditions.Conclusions: The females in our study bear the greater burden of physical function disability in their adult age. Health policies as well as future studies should be targeted at reducing the burden of physical function disabilities in different types of daily activities through gender sensitive disability self-management programs.

Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of physical function disabilities and determine the frequency of assistive technology (AT) use among low-income older Hispanics. The prevalence of functional disabilities was 57.8%. Women were 2.86 times more likely to report a disability than men. The frequency of AT use was low. This highlights the urgent need for AT interventions to address the functional needs of older Hispanic women from low-income communities. Primary Author and Speaker: Elsa Orellano Contributing Authors: Marta Rivero-Méndez, Erick L. Suárez-Pérez, Claudia X. Boneu-Meléndez, Jefrey W. Jutai, Mauricio Lizama-Troncoso, Ivonne Z. Jiménez-Velázquez, and Nelson Varas-Diaz

Describe the age-standardized rates of new HIV diagnoses and compare sex and time disparities using data from the HIV/AIDS Surveillance System in Puerto Rico (PR).The study comprises data of new HIV diagnoses of persons 13 years of age and older in PR reported from 2003-2014. Other variables included were age, sex, and health regions. We computed male to female ratio of new HIV diagnoses and assessed the trends in new HIV diagnoses using the annual percent change (APC) of the age-standardized rates (ASRs). The relative risk (RR) was estimated with 95% confidence intervals using Poisson regression models to assess the risk of new HIV diagnoses.The highest HIV diagnosis rates were observed in the metropolitan area. These rates decreased overall for both sexes for the periods 2007 onward. The risk of getting a new HIV diagnosis was significantly higher among males, ranging from an increased risk of more than 50% to almost 5-fold (p0.05). Overall, a trend was observed in the 2011-2014 period were the risk increases as the age decreases. For the 13-24 age group, we observed a significant increased risk in new HIV diagnosis of 53% in the 2011-2014 period, when compared to 2003-2006 (p0.05).Our findings suggest a shift in the risk of getting a HIV diagnosis from older to younger males. A possible explanation could be that HIV spread among young men that have sex with men might be increasing. Targeted prevention strategies should be implemented in this age group.

Background: In August 2018, Puerto Rico (PR) adopted the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as a school-entry requirement for all students (male and female) 11 to 12 years old. Information about HPV shared in online media outlets may influence vaccine hesitancy, uptake, and parental decision. Before and after the requirement took effect, news coverage of this policy promoted discussions by groups in favor of the vaccine as well as the uproar of anti-vaccine groups, which may have influenced parental perceptions of the school-entry policy. Objective: This qualitative study explored arguments in favor of and against HPV vaccination and the new school-entry vaccination policy among parents, stakeholders, and coalitions in Puerto Rico. Methods: A systematic review was conducted to identify digital media reports related to the HPV vaccination policy and its implementation in PR from January 2017 to December 2018. This analysis focuses only on the codes extracted from the arguments provided by different organizations, coalitions and parents interviewed in the media. A grounded theory approach was used to identify emergent arguments discussed during this period in the news reports. ATLAS.ti 8 was used to facilitate data manipulation and retrieval. Results: Of all the quotes analyzed, 78% were coded as negative (against), 19% were positive (in favor) and only 3% were neutral towards the new HPV school-entry policy. The analysis identified emergent themes related arguments in favor of and against the HPV vaccine policy implementation. Positive arguments frequently discussed, included the following themes: 1) importance of the HPV vaccine for cancer prevention; 2) acknowledgment of sexual practices/activities in youth and 3) healthcare provider recommendation. Primary themes that emerged in arguments against the HPV school-entry policy included: 1) patient autonomy; 2) the right of parents to be informed about the vaccine; 3) lack of education regarding the efficacy of the vaccine; 4) potential risk of vaccines; and 5) pharmaceutical and economic interests. Conclusion: This study explored the most emerging arguments discussed in the media before and during the implementation of the HPV school entry policy in Puerto Rico. Most information disseminated was against this new policy. Media shared online was not balanced, which can lead to the promotion of vaccine hesitancy. Future online media coverage could expand the scope of information and provide a balanced, unbiased overview of this school-entry policy from a more comprehensive range of reliable sources. Citation Format: Glizette O Arroyo-Morales, Vilnery Rivera-Figueroa, Roxana Soto-Abreu, Manuel E Rivera-Encarnación, Olga L Diaz-Miranda, Diana T Medina-Laabels, Ana P Ortiz-Martinez, Erick L Suárez-Pérez, Maria E Fernández, Pamela C Hull, Vivian Colón-López. Arguments in favor and against the new HPV school entry implementation in Puerto Rico: Content analysis of online media coverage [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr D030.

Introduction: School-entry vaccination mandates have been widely used as a mechanism to ensure high immunization coverage rates. In August 2018, Puerto Rico (PR) mandated a Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine school-entry policy for student’s ages 11 to 12 years. This new requirement in PR presents an opportunity to study the implementation process across a 5 years period (2018-2023). In this ongoing study, we conducted Key Informant (KI) interviews to document factors that facilitate or impede a successful HPV vaccine school policy implementation in PR. Methods: We conducted 29 KI semi-structured interviews with stakeholders in the Department of Health (DOH), school system, healthcare organizations, community-based organizations and coalitions in PR (in favor and against the school-entry policy) from July 2018 to June 2019. The interview guide included relevant domains based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, such as Intervention characteristics, Inner setting, Outer setting and Individual characteristics. We transcribed interviews, coded transcripts and analyzed data to identify emergent themes. Results: Potential facilitators of HPV policy implementation included: clear enforcement messages and use of personal anecdotes by nurses from health and school fields, the coverage of the vaccine by medical insurers, and the power of the Secretary of Health to include vaccines required for school-entry. Perceived barriers to the implementation process were: lack of communication between the DOH and the Department of Education, lack of knowledge about the HPV vaccine, uncertainty about the consistency of implementation in schools, lack of vaccine availability and disproportionate burden for regional school nurses. Other barrier to implementation mentioned included: school directors and teachers were detached from the implementation process, and lack of compliance from private health providers and public schools towards the immunization registry. Coalitions against this mandate focused their concerns on the right of parental autonomy. Recommendations from KI focused on: stricter policies to enforce this law in public schools, clear messages about the new mandate and HPV vaccine current coverage by health care insurers in PR. Moreover, KI expresses the need for more support from the DOH (technical and educational training to school principals and teachers, health promotion), and the need for increased education about the HPV vaccine and recommendations. Conclusions: Although school vaccination mandates are an evidence-based strategy for improving vaccination rates, several implementation barriers could affect the impact. Findings from this study can be used for improving policy procedures and implementation, and can inform states/territories considering adopting similar immunization policies. The information generated will help determine adaptations/modifications that may be needed for policy implementation in PR and other populations in the future. Citation Format: Roxana Soto-Abreu, Manuel E. Rivera-Encarnación, Vilnery Rivera-Figueroa, Glizette O. Arroyo-Morales, Diana T. Medina-Laabes, Olga L. Diaz-Miranda, Pamela C. Hull, Ana P. Ortiz-Martínez, Erick L. Suárez-Pérez, María E. Fernández, Vivian Colón-López. Human papillomavirus school-entry vaccination mandate in Puerto Rico: Barriers and facilitators from the perspective of key informants [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr D047.

Introduction: In August 2018, Puerto Rico (PR) adopted a Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine school-entry policy, required for students, 11-12 years old. Previous research suggests that influence from media coverage and content might impact parents’ perception of vaccine efficacy, safety and willingness to vaccinate their children. We analyzed the coverage related to the implementation of the HPV vaccine in PR as a requirement for school-entry policy. Methods: A systematic review was conducted from January 2017 through December 2018. Search terms (in Spanish) included: Virus de Papiloma Humano, VPH, vacuna, vacunación contra VPH, implementación, among others. The search included 17 online websites; 34 articles were gathered, which were included if coverage of the new school entry-policy was mentioned in the content. The following steps were developed to review the content of the articles: 1) a matrix to evaluate the content of the article in relation to the school-entry policy and 2) qualitative analysis using grounded theory approach. Since headlines might promote readers’ perception, three different raters read the article title to document the sentiment (positive, negative or neutral). Fleiss’ Kappa analysis was used to assess intra-rater agreement. Results: Data from the matrix showed that 79% focused on this new school-entry mandate as a policy for cancer prevention and 61% of the news articles did not discuss the HPV doses required. Media reports highlighted the link between HPV and HPV-related cancers, mostly cervical cancer (59%). Limited information regarding other HPV-related cancers such as vaginal (18%), vulvar (20%), anal (12%), penile (21%) and oropharynx (24%) was included. In 2017, prior to policy implementation, news coverage focused mostly on the description of the school-entry policy, while 2018 coverage focused on the controversy of the school policy being mandatory. Most of the emergent themes related to the implementation of the HPV vaccine as a school-entry policy were negative, involving: 1) risk of the vaccine (safety and efficacy); 2) representative hesitancy; 3) parental autonomy; 4) right to be informed; and 5) lack of education about HPV and the vaccine. Positive content included: 1) knowledge and acceptance of the HPV vaccine for cancer prevention; 2) the importance of education and protective sexual behaviors; 3) support from coalitions, health providers and government representatives for implementation. The agreement of the headline sentiment between the three raters was fair (k= 32%; p Citation Format: Vilnery Rivera-Figueroa, Glizette O Arroyo-Morales, Roxana Soto-Abreu, Manuel E Rivera-Encarnación, Olga L Díaz-Miranda, Diana T Medina-Laabes, Ana P Ortíz-Martínez, Erick L Suárez-Pérez, Maria E Fernández, Pamela C Hull, Vivian Colón-López. Content analysis of online media coverage of the human papillomavirus vaccine as a school-entry policy in Puerto Rico [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr D045.

This study assessed the association of the hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTGW) phenotype with prediabetes and diabetes (DM) in a group of Hispanics. Analysis of a cross-sectional study of 858 adults residing in Puerto Rico that collected data on blood pressure, biochemical, and anthropometric measurements was performed. HTGW phenotype was defined as elevated triglycerides and elevated waist circumference. Prediabetes was defined as a fasting glucose of 100-125 mg/dL and DM as a fasting glucose ≥126 mg/dL or prior diagnosis. Prevalence of HTGW, prediabetes, and DM was 27.9, 38.0, and 21.6 %, respectively. Subjects with the HTGW phenotype had higher adjusted odds of prediabetes (POR 5.55; 95 % CI 3.38-9.13) and DM (POR 7.28; 95 % CI 3.63-14.63) compared to those without the phenotype. The association for prediabetes was stronger for women than among men. HTGW phenotype was strongly associated with prediabetes and DM, reinforcing the need to further assess its performance as a screening tool to identify at-risk individuals for cardiometabolic conditions.

Introduction Evaluation of the extent of socioeconomic inequalities in cancer incidence and mortality is essential to generate hypotheses in population health research and provides evidence for population-based strategies for comprehensive cancer control. The objective of this study was to create an area-based socioeconomic position (SEP) index to assess possible socioeconomic disparities in incidence and mortality of selected cancers in Puerto Rico.

This article focuses on the development of a health promotion model programme for elderly Puerto Rican women intended to minimize barriers for early detection of breast cancer and to increase women's compliance with recommended guidelines. The programme was designed based on the findings of a national sample to assess knowledge, beliefs and practices of breast cancer early detection in Puerto Rican elderly women and their perceptions of barriers associated with non-compliance. It involves the combination of educational and environmental support for actions and conditions conducive to health behaviour and consists of the following components: (i) a culture- and cohort-sensitive health education programme for elderly women on breast cancer screening and assertive strategies for client-physician relationship; (ii) training for primary-care providers on current guidelines and barriers affecting compliance among older women in Puerto Rico; and (iii) coordination of necessary support services to facilitate access to clinical breast exams and mammograms. Programme implementation considers appropriate theories for health promotion and education in the older population. Evaluation measured progress in the plan implementation by assessing immediate products and long-term impact of the programme. Results of the pilot programme revealed a slight increase in knowledge and a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in beliefs after the health education sessions. Interventions in breast cancer early detection practices showed significant changes (p < 0.05) for mammogram and clinical breast examination. Different strategies must be combined to increase older women's compliance with breast cancer screening. Health system and access barriers to preventive care must be addressed.

The objective of this study was to describe the AIDS-defining conditions (ADC) and survival experience of pediatric AIDS cases (13 years age) reported in Puerto Rico. A descriptive analysis of the data gathered by the Puerto Rico AIDS Surveillance System was performed. Data for the 377 pediatric AIDS cases reported from January 1981 through June 1998 were reviewed. Survival curves following AIDS diagnosis were estimated using the Kaplan--Meier method and differences between curves were assessed by the Wilcoxon test. The majority (61%) of the cases were diagnosed before 2 years of age, and nearly 94% of them acquired the infection through perinatal transmission. The most common ADC were Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) (23%), wasting syndrome (19.4%), and esophageal candidiasis (19.1%). The overall median survival time during the study period was 53.5 (95% CI: 38.0-106.2) months. Children1 year of age had a significantly shorter median survival time compared with older ages (p0.05). The survival experience in children diagnosed with PCP, pulmonary candidiasis, cytomegalovirus, and lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia (LIP) was significantly different (p0.05) to those children not diagnosed with these conditions. Although patients diagnosed after 1990 showed a median survival time longer than those diagnosed prior to 1990, the difference did not reach statistical significance (p0.05). The frequency of several ADC and median survival time of Puerto Rican children differed from those reported in the United States. This may reflect differences in diagnostic procedures or reporting practices.

Rationale Ethnopharmacology has documented hundreds of psychoactive plants awaiting exploitation for drug discovery. A robust and inexpensive in vivo system allowing systematic screening would be critical to exploiting this knowledge. Objective The objective of this study was to establish a cheap and accurate screening method which can be used for testing psychoactive efficacy of complex mixtures of unknown composition, like plant crude extracts. Methods We used automated recording of zebrafish larval swimming behavior during light vs. dark periods which we reproducibly altered with an anxiogenic compound, pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). First, we reversed this PTZ-altered swimming by co-treatment with a well-defined synthetic anxiolytic drug, valproic acid (VPA). Next, we aimed at reversing it by adding crude root extracts of Valeriana officinalis (Val) from which VPA was originally derived. Finally, we assessed how expression of neural activity-regulated genes (c-fos, npas4a, and bdnf) known to be upregulated by PTZ treatment was affected in the presence of Val. Results Both VPA and Val significantly reversed the PTZ-altered swimming behaviors. Noticeably, Val at higher doses was affecting swimming independently of the presence of PTZ. A strong regulation of all three neural-activity genes was observed in Val-treated larvae which fully supported the behavioral results. Conclusions We demonstrated in a combined behavioral-molecular approach the strong psychoactivity of a natural extract of unknown composition made from V. officinalis. Our results highlight the efficacy and sensitivity of such an approach, therefore offering a novel in vivo screening system amenable to high-throughput testing of promising ethnobotanical candidates. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00213-016-4304-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.