Preventable Disease Practices Among a Lower SES, Multicultural, Nonurban, U.S. Community: The Roles of Vaccination Efficacy and Personal Constraints

Abstract

In spite of knowledge that early vaccination against contagious diseases such as swine flu reduces morbidity and contains contagion, rates of vaccination in the most recent three annual disease cycles were lower than anticipated. Some previous research suggests that lower socioeconomic status, mixed-racial population composition, and a nonurban environment may all contribute to lower vaccination rates. This study adopts the health belief model to create two composite indexes—vaccine efficacy and personal constraints—to analyze the role of each in predicting vaccination behavior/intention and to explore the role of each on behavior/intention in terms of information sources. Findings indicate that vaccine efficacy significantly predicts vaccination behavior and intention to receive the vaccine and that personal constraints do not significantly predict either. Social media and a notification from a school or employer were the most important information sources for persons who had received the vaccine, while signage in a pharmacy or grocery store and information from a school or employer were the most important motivators for behavioral intentions. Vaccination efficacy was perceived most highly by persons for whom physicians are their most important information source. Finally, satisfaction with public health care services did not predict the location where individuals would seek the flu vaccine—convenience seemed more important, as grocery and drug stores were the most cited locations.