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Attitudes and barriers associated with seasonal influenza vaccination uptake among public health students; a cross-sectional study.
BMC Public Health. 2018 Sep 20; 18(1):1131.BP

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Although research has explored influenza vaccination uptake among medical and college students, there is a dearth of research in understanding influenza vaccination uptake and attitudes toward the vaccine among future public health practitioners. Undergraduate public health students represent future public health practitioners who may be a significant educational resource for health information, including the importance of vaccinations.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study utilized survey data from 158 undergraduate public health students attending a large public university in Southern California. The survey assessed public health students' attitudes and beliefs towards the seasonal influenza vaccine and seasonal vaccination rates among this population.

RESULTS

Over 88% of respondents reported having been encouraged to receive the seasonal influenza vaccine, while only 43.0% reported receipt. Of the students who reported not receiving the vaccine, 49.4% believed it may give them the flu, 30.4% believed there may be dangerous side effects, and 28.9% believed they were not at risk for contracting the flu. Access to health care practitioners (OR: 3.947, 95% CI [1.308-11.906]) and social encouragement (OR: 3.139, 95% CI [1.447-6.811]) were significantly associated with receipt of the seasonal influenza vaccine.

CONCLUSION

As public health program curriculum includes information about seasonal influenza vaccination and 68% of the sample were seniors soon to be exiting the program with an undergraduate degree in public health education, this low seasonal influenza vaccination rate is disturbing. This study may add to the body of data demonstrating how knowledge of the vaccine does not always guarantee vaccine uptake. Results of the current study suggest that it may be beneficial to provide additional information targeted to public health students, aimed at mediating safety concerns and increasing social pressure to assist in improving vaccine acceptance and rates in this population. Maximizing seasonal influenza vaccination uptake by addressing attitudes, barriers and misperceptions may not only improve vaccination rates among public health students, but also in communities served by these future public health practitioners.

Links

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Rogers CJ
Department of Health Sciences, California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA, 91330, USA. christopher.rogers@csun.edu.
Bahr KO
Department of Health Sciences, California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA, 91330, USA.
Benjamin SM
Department of Health Sciences, California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA, 91330, USA.

MeSH

AdolescentAdultCaliforniaCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHumansInfluenza VaccinesInfluenza, HumanMaleMiddle AgedSeasonsStudents, Public HealthSurveys and QuestionnairesUniversitiesVaccinationYoung Adult

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

30236092

Citation

Rogers, Christopher J., et al. "Attitudes and Barriers Associated With Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Uptake Among Public Health Students; a Cross-sectional Study." BMC Public Health, vol. 18, no. 1, 2018, p. 1131.
Rogers CJ, Bahr KO, Benjamin SM. Attitudes and barriers associated with seasonal influenza vaccination uptake among public health students; a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2018;18(1):1131.
Rogers, C. J., Bahr, K. O., & Benjamin, S. M. (2018). Attitudes and barriers associated with seasonal influenza vaccination uptake among public health students; a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 18(1), 1131. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-6041-1
Rogers CJ, Bahr KO, Benjamin SM. Attitudes and Barriers Associated With Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Uptake Among Public Health Students; a Cross-sectional Study. BMC Public Health. 2018 Sep 20;18(1):1131. PubMed PMID: 30236092.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Attitudes and barriers associated with seasonal influenza vaccination uptake among public health students; a cross-sectional study. AU - Rogers,Christopher J, AU - Bahr,Kaitlin O, AU - Benjamin,Stephanie M, Y1 - 2018/09/20/ PY - 2018/03/06/received PY - 2018/09/16/accepted PY - 2018/9/22/entrez PY - 2018/9/22/pubmed PY - 2018/10/13/medline KW - College KW - Education KW - Public health KW - Seasonal influenza vaccine KW - Vaccine misperceptions SP - 1131 EP - 1131 JF - BMC public health JO - BMC Public Health VL - 18 IS - 1 N2 - BACKGROUND: Although research has explored influenza vaccination uptake among medical and college students, there is a dearth of research in understanding influenza vaccination uptake and attitudes toward the vaccine among future public health practitioners. Undergraduate public health students represent future public health practitioners who may be a significant educational resource for health information, including the importance of vaccinations. METHODS: This cross-sectional study utilized survey data from 158 undergraduate public health students attending a large public university in Southern California. The survey assessed public health students' attitudes and beliefs towards the seasonal influenza vaccine and seasonal vaccination rates among this population. RESULTS: Over 88% of respondents reported having been encouraged to receive the seasonal influenza vaccine, while only 43.0% reported receipt. Of the students who reported not receiving the vaccine, 49.4% believed it may give them the flu, 30.4% believed there may be dangerous side effects, and 28.9% believed they were not at risk for contracting the flu. Access to health care practitioners (OR: 3.947, 95% CI [1.308-11.906]) and social encouragement (OR: 3.139, 95% CI [1.447-6.811]) were significantly associated with receipt of the seasonal influenza vaccine. CONCLUSION: As public health program curriculum includes information about seasonal influenza vaccination and 68% of the sample were seniors soon to be exiting the program with an undergraduate degree in public health education, this low seasonal influenza vaccination rate is disturbing. This study may add to the body of data demonstrating how knowledge of the vaccine does not always guarantee vaccine uptake. Results of the current study suggest that it may be beneficial to provide additional information targeted to public health students, aimed at mediating safety concerns and increasing social pressure to assist in improving vaccine acceptance and rates in this population. Maximizing seasonal influenza vaccination uptake by addressing attitudes, barriers and misperceptions may not only improve vaccination rates among public health students, but also in communities served by these future public health practitioners. SN - 1471-2458 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/30236092/Attitudes_and_barriers_associated_with_seasonal_influenza_vaccination_uptake_among_public_health_students DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -