The Impact of AI-delivered HPV Vaccine Messaging On Perceived Credibility and Uptake Intentions Among Nigerian Young Adults

Date of Award

5-2026

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Communication

First Advisor

Autumn Edwards, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Chad Edwards, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Christopher Dobmeier, Ph.D.

Keywords

AI health communication, HPV vaccine, human–AI interaction, Nigeria, social presence, vaccine communication

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Abstract Only

Restricted to Campus until

5-1-2028

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of AI-delivered HPV vaccine messaging among Nigerian young adults, focusing on perceived credibility and vaccination intention. Despite the availability of HPV vaccines, uptake remains low due to misinformation and trust issue in health communication. Guided by Social Presence Theory and Source Credibility Theory, a 2 × 2 factorial experiment was conducted with 250 participants.

Results indicate functional equivalence between AI and government sources across key outcomes. Social presence improved message comprehension and perceived presence but did not significantly influence behavioral intentions. Interaction effects emerged for credibility-related outcomes and interpersonal diffusion, suggesting that message effectiveness depends in part on how messages are presented.

Trust in government and HPV-related attitudes were the strongest and most consistent predictors across outcomes. These findings suggest that the effectiveness of AI-mediated health communication is shaped more by audience-level trust and pre-existing attitudes than by message source alone, highlighting the potential of AI systems as credible and scalable tools for public health communication.

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