Group discussion about HPV

10351For this small group discussion, you will develop a research question to investigate HPV. You will then determine whether you would use an observational or experimental design to investigate the research question, and you will support your rationale.

***Prompt: Before you post in this discussion, first read the following health scenario:

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of more than 150 related viruses. They are contagious and can spread from person to person via intimate skin-to-skin contact. The virus is most commonly spread through sexual contact. Some strains of HPV can cause cancer, but there is a vaccine for the strains that cause most of these cancers. In other words, there is a vaccine that can prevent about 91% of HPV-related cancers. In order to develop a logical question, take a look at the references below. Do not try to develop a question without looking over articles (links below) in the citation list below. The goal is to write a question that makes sense and can be researched either using observations or experiments.

Then, in your initial post, address the following:

Create a research question to investigate HPV.
Explain whether you would use an observational or experimental design to investigate the research question. Be sure to justify your choice.
After you have posted your initial response, read through the posts of your peers. Critique their research question, providing specific feedback on its strengths and areas in need of improvement.
Also, how can your peer best answer their research question? Would you choose the same design that they did? Why or why not?

Sample Research Question: Is knowledge of cancers associated with HPV positively associated with parental willingness to seek vaccination for daughters and sons among a convenience sample of African-American, church-going women?

Rationale/Explanation: This research question can be answered using an observational design where the individuals or the sample of women complete a survey, and the responses (from the survey) are measured (Maness, Reitzel, Watkins, & McNeill, 2016). According to the study, findings showed that 66.4% of the women believed that the HPV vaccine should be given to both girls and boys, respectively.

Other Pertinent Info on HPV

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2016a). “What is HPV?” Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/parents/whatishpv.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2016b). “HPV vaccines: Vaccinating your preteen or teen.” Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/parents/vaccine.html