An appropriate research question to be used in the study is the following one: “What is the efficacy of HPV vaccination in reducing the prevalence of HPV infections in adolescent females?” In order to address this research question, it seems relevant to apply an observational design rather than an experimental one. An observational design would be appropriate for this research question because it aims to observe and analyze existing data on the prevalence of HPV infections in adolescent female respondents prior to and after HPV vaccination without manipulating any independent variables. This allows for the evaluation of the real-world impact of HPV vaccination on reducing HPV infections. An experimental design would involve randomizing participants into a treatment or control group, which is not ethical or feasible in this scenario.
An observational research design is relevant in studying the efficacy of HPV vaccines for several reasons. Firstly, such a design allows for obtaining reliable, real-world evidence. Observational studies can provide real-world evidence on the effects of HPV vaccines, as they study subjects in their natural environment and typical lifestyles rather than controlled conditions. For instance, observational research done by Enerly et al. (2019) indicated that HPV had a lower prevalence among vaccinated females than in non-vaccinated ones. Another asset of an observational study is a large sample size. Such studies can enroll a large number of participants, providing a more comprehensive view of vaccine effects in a diverse population.
One more positive feature of an observational design is its long-term effects. Observational studies can follow subjects over a long period, providing information on the long-term effects of HPV vaccines (Enerly et al., 2019). Additionally, observational studies are often more cost-effective than interventional studies, as they do not require randomization or controlling variables. Finally, observational studies can complete randomized controlled trials (RCTs) by providing additional information on vaccine effects in real-world scenarios and populations not necessarily represented in RCTs. However, observational studies have some disadvantages, such as potential confounding factors and selection biases, which should be taken into consideration when interpreting results.
Reference
Enerly,E., Flingtorp, R., Christiansen, I. K., Campbell, S., Hansen, M., Myklebust, T. Å., Weiderpass, E., & Nygård, M. (2019). An observational study comparing HPV prevalence and type distribution between HPV-vaccinated and -unvaccinated girls after introduction of school-based HPV vaccination in Norway. PLOS ONE, 14(12), e0226706. Web.