Achieving Cancer Prevention Equity: A Policy Analysis of American Cancer Society HPV Vaccination Guidelines.

AIM: To examine the American Cancer Society's HPV vaccination guidelines through a nursing policy analysis framework, assessing justice and equity outcomes in cancer prevention policy implementation.

BACKGROUND

Human papillomavirus vaccination remains critical for cancer prevention, yet persistent health disparities undermine equity goals despite evidence-based policy recommendations. Limited research has systematically applied nursing conceptual frameworks to analyse vaccination policy through an explicit equity lens.

DESIGN

Policy Analysis Using the Russell and Fawcett Conceptual Model for Nursing and Health Policy, Focusing on Level 4 Outcomes Addressing Justice, Social Changes and Market Interventions.

METHODS

Systematic analysis of policy sources (public, organisational, professional), components (personnel, services, expenditures) and outcomes across quality, cost and access dimensions. Data sources included primary policy documents, implementation reports and peer-reviewed literature from 2015 to 2024. Thematic analysis examined policy effectiveness through distributive and procedural justice lenses.

RESULTS

Critical policy fragmentation creates systematic equity barriers, with only five jurisdictions (Virginia, District of Columbia, Rhode Island, Puerto Rico, Hawaii) achieving > 70% vaccination coverage through school-entry mandates and 46 states and territories demonstrating substantially lower rates. Rural adolescents experience 15%-20% lower vaccination rates, while Black adolescents show 10 percentage points lower coverage than white adolescents despite federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) program investment of $4.2 billion annually. Provider training gaps and cultural competency limitations disproportionately affect communities of colour. Healthcare system transformation remains concentrated in well-resourced organisations, creating two-tiered implementation that reinforces existing disparities.

CONCLUSION

Achieving cancer prevention equity requires coordinated interventions across multiple policy levels, enhanced provider training emphasising cultural competency, community-based service expansion and equity-focused resource allocation. Federal leadership establishing minimum vaccination requirements linked to education funding, respecting state constitutional authority, sustainable funding models and nursing leadership represent essential actions for advancing health equity.

IMPACT: Demonstrates nursing frameworks' utility for rigorous health policy analysis while providing evidence-based recommendations for strengthening vaccination policy to achieve cancer prevention equity across diverse populations.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct or reporting.