Abstract
BackgroundThe present study aimed to identify factors affecting vaccination against influenza among health professionals.MethodsWe used a multi-centre cross-sectional design to conduct an online self-administered questionnaire with physicians and nurses at state and foundation university hospitals in the south-east of Turkey, between 1 January 2015 and 1 February 2015. The five participating hospitals provided staff email address lists filtered for physicians and nurses. The questionnaire comprised multiple choice questions covering demographic data, knowledge sources, and Likert-type items on factors affecting vaccination against influenza. The target response rate was 20 %.ResultsIn total, 642 (22 %) of 2870 health professionals (1220 physicians and 1650 nurses) responded to the questionnaire. Participants’ mean age was 29.6 ± 9.2 years (range 17–62 years); 177 (28.2 %) were physicians and 448 (71.3 %) were nurses. The rate of regular vaccination was 9.2 % (15.2 % for physicians and 8.2 % for nurses). Increasing age, longer work duration in health services, being male, being a physician, working in an internal medicine department, having a chronic disease, and living with a person over 65 years old significantly increased vaccination compliance (p < 0.05). We found differences between vaccine compliant and non-compliant groups for expected benefit from vaccination, social influences, and personal efficacy (p < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed differences between the groups in perceptions of personal risks, side effects, and efficacy of the vaccine (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis found that important factors influencing vaccination behavior were work place, colleagues’ opinions, having a chronic disease, belief that vaccination was effective, and belief that flu can be prevented by natural ways.ConclusionNumerous factors influence health professionals’ decisions about influenza vaccination. Strategies to increase the ratio of vaccination among physicians and nurses should consider all of these factors to increase the likelihood of success.
Highlights
The present study aimed to identify factors affecting vaccination against influenza among health professionals
When the ratio of the participants was evaluated with regard to departments, the highest vaccination ratio was found among internal medicine workers (53.4 %) followed by surgery departments (25.9 %), intensive care unit workers (10.3 %), emergency department workers (5.2 %) and others (1.7 %)
The vaccination rate difference between health care professionals working in high-risk areas and low risk areas was statistically significant (p < 0.05) and was higher in people working in low risk areas
Summary
The present study aimed to identify factors affecting vaccination against influenza among health professionals. Influenza is a contagious disease associated with yearly seasonal outbreaks and significant mortality among risk groups [1]. Health professionals are repeatedly exposed to the influenza virus, and generally continue working even when infected. It has been demonstrated that the administration of influenza vaccine to health professionals is a cost-effective strategy that reduces lost work hours, as well as nosocomial transmission and mortality among hospitalized patients [5,6,7,8]. Previous studies have suggested that physicians who are vaccinated are more likely to recommend the influenza vaccine to their patients, and physician and nurse attitudes are important factors influencing patients’ decisions about vaccination [9, 10]. The targeted vaccination ratio was 45.5 % among health care workers (HCWs) in 2011, with a goal of increasing this ratio to 90 % by 2020 [14]
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