Angelica Roncancio, Ph.D. is a motivated postdoctoral fellow, trained as a behavioral scientist, who is currently working at the Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research at the University of Texas Health Science Center Houston (UTHSC-H) School of Public Health. The overall goal of this NCI K01 career development proposal is to provide Dr. Roncancio with the additional research skills necessary to launch an independent career focused on reducing HPV-related cancer disparities among Latinas. Dr. Roncancio's research examines the psychosocial and cultural determinants of cervical-cancer screening and HPV vaccination among Latinas and seeks to modify health behavior through innovative approaches to screening and vaccination completion. Under the mentorship of Dr. Maria Fernandez she will receive specialized, mentored training in the following areas: 1) cancer disparities in Latino populations, 2) the development of theory-based interventions, and 3) the use of technology in health promotion. UTHSC-H's rich training environment provides junior investigators with the resources necessary to become independent, productive, and highly successful researchers. For example, it provides outstanding opportunities for developing skills in grant writing, manuscript publication, and project management. UTHSC-H also offers a large variety of courses, workshops, and seminars relevant to public health and behavioral science, along with access to some of the most renowned prevention scientists in cancer research. Dr. Roncancio's long-term career goal as an independent health researcher is to improve both cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination rates, ultimately aiding in the reduction of cervical cancer disparity in Latinas. She will develop a research program focused on the development and implementation of innovative, culturally appropriate, theory-based interventions to increase cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination among underserved Latinas. In addition, Dr. Roncancio outlines four short term goals to be achieved throughout the award period that will serve as the foundation for an independent research career: 1) to increase her science-based knowledge in behavioral theory and its application to the development of cancer interventions for underserved populations, particularly Latinas; 2) to increase her knowledge in the use of technology in interventions targeted at hard-to- reach underserved populations; 3) to increase experience in implementing interventions in hard-to-reach populations; and 4) to participate in professional development activities related to cancer health disparities. These goals will be achieved through a combination of formal coursework and directed readings, experience in implementing several research projects, experience in developing and publishing manuscripts, and intensive mentoring to ensure that Dr. Roncancio achieves each of her specific short term goals and becomes a successful independent cervical cancer disparities researcher.
The aims of the proposed research are to: 1) develop an Integrative Model of Behavioral Prediction (IM) that explains Spanish-speaking Latino mothers' decisions to have their adolescent daughters complete the HPV vaccine series, and 2) develop and pilot test an innovatively-delivered IM-based intervention (via video text messaging) for Spanish-speaking Latino mothers to encourage HPV vaccine series completion for their adolescent daughters. This research is both important and timely given the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer's 2012 recommendation to increase HPV vaccination efforts to combat the rise in incidence rates of some HPV-associated cancers and the finding that Latino adolescent girls are less likely non-Latino white adolescent girls to complete the HPV vaccine series. The proposed aims will be accomplished through four successive plans of study: 1) a qualitative study to identify the beliefs that underlie Latino mothers' decisions to have their adolescent daughters complete the HPV vaccine series; 2) a longitudinal study to identify the associations between the IM predictor variables, intentions, and behavior; 3) a usability study to evaluate the acceptability and appropriateness of the video texts to be delivered to the mothers' cellular phones that were developed to increase HPV vaccine series completion; and 4) a longitudinal pilot study to evaluate the feasibility of a theory-based intervention that uses video text messaging as an innovative channel of delivery.

Public Health Relevance

The proposed research will address a significant gap in our knowledge of the factors that influence Latino mothers' decisions to have their adolescent daughters complete the HPV vaccine series and will result in the development of an innovatively-delivered, theory-based intervention that may increase vaccine completion in this population. This intervention will be the first of its kind and has the potential to increase HPV vaccine completion in an underserved population known for low completion rates and for being disproportionately affected by cervical cancer disparities.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research & Training (K01)
Project #
4K01CA181437-04
Application #
9131525
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZCA1)
Program Officer
Soyombo-Shoola, Abigail Adebisi
Project Start
2013-09-12
Project End
2018-08-31
Budget Start
2016-09-01
Budget End
2017-08-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2016
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Texas Health Science Center Houston
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Public Health
DUNS #
800771594
City
Houston
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
77225
Rodriguez, Serena A; Roncancio, Angelica M; Savas, Lara S et al. (2018) Using Intervention Mapping to Develop and Adapt Two Educational Interventions for Parents to Increase HPV Vaccination Among Hispanic Adolescents. Front Public Health 6:164
Roncancio, A M; Ward, K K; Carmack, C C et al. (2017) Hispanic mothers' beliefs regarding HPV vaccine series completion in their adolescent daughters. Health Educ Res 32:96-106
Cano, Miguel Ángel; de Dios, Marcel A; Correa-Fernández, Virmarie et al. (2017) Depressive symptom domains and alcohol use severity among Hispanic emerging adults: Examining moderating effects of gender. Addict Behav 72:72-78
Roncancio, Angelica M; Ward, Kristy K; Carmack, Chakema C et al. (2017) Using Social Marketing Theory as a Framework for Understanding and Increasing HPV Vaccine Series Completion Among Hispanic Adolescents: A Qualitative Study. J Community Health 42:169-178
Barroso, Cristina S; Roncancio, Angelica; Moramarco, Michael W et al. (2016) Food security, maternal feeding practices and child weight-for-length. Appl Nurs Res 29:31-6
Roncancio, Angelica M; Vernon, Sally W; Carmack, Chakema C et al. (2016) Identifying Hispanic mothers' salient beliefs about human papillomavirus vaccine initiation in their adolescent daughters. J Health Psychol :1359105316676627
Cano, Miguel Ángel; Castro, Yessenia; de Dios, Marcel A et al. (2016) Associations of ethnic discrimination with symptoms of anxiety and depression among Hispanic emerging adults: a moderated mediation model. Anxiety Stress Coping 29:699-707
Roncancio, Angelica M; Ward, Kristy K; Sanchez, Ingrid A et al. (2015) Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Understand Cervical Cancer Screening Among Latinas. Health Educ Behav 42:621-6
Cano, Miguel Ángel; Castillo, Linda G; Castro, Yessenia et al. (2014) Acculturative Stress and Depressive Symptomatology Among Mexican and Mexican American Students in the U.S.: Examining Associations with Cultural Incongruity and Intragroup Marginalization. Int J Adv Couns 36:136-149
Roncancio, Angelica M; Ward, Kristy K; Fernandez, Maria E (2014) The influence of time perspective on cervical cancer screening among Latinas in the United States. J Health Psychol 19:1547-53

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