Examining Percieved Barriers and Facilitators to Influenza Vaccination Uptake Among Undergraduate Students at Belmont University

Publication Date

2024

Presentation Length

Poster/Gallery presentation

College

College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

Department

Public Health, Department of

Student Level

Undergraduate

SPARK Category

Research

Faculty Advisor

Christian Williams

SPARK Session

10:15-11:45 Poster: Public Health Scientific Inquiry

Presentation Type

Poster

Summary

Introduction: The development of vaccines is considered one of the greatest public health achievements in history. Influenza, which was once a devastating epidemic, is now controlled through vaccines. By receiving the flu vaccine, individuals not only safeguard their own health but also contribute to herd immunity, thereby protecting those who are unable to get vaccinated due to medical conditions (Parker et al., 2013). College students face disproportionately high influenza prevalence rates due to the congregate and communal nature of campus life. Understanding barriers and facilitators to vaccine adoption for universities with geographically diverse student populations is essential to controlling the spread of influenza. Methods: This study focused on undergraduate students at Belmont University, recruiting participants over the age of 18 through a simple random sample by emailing professors of selected First-Year Seminar and Third-Year Writing courses. The survey, adapted from Ryan et al.'s 33-item tool, was administered online via Qualtrics. This study examined perceived barriers and facilitators to Influenza vaccination uptake among undergraduate students at Belmont University. Results: The sample size consisted of 54 participants (N=54) with a 9.1% response rate. Among the 30 participants who expressed a positive vaccine intention, the most common facilitators were: a history of flu vaccination (96.7%), protecting oneself and others (86.7%), recommendations from family members (56.7%), and education on the vaccine's importance (60%). Conversely, among the 22 participants with negative vaccine intentions, the most cited barriers were: inconvenience (36.3%), lack of perceived priority (68.2%), and the belief that natural immunity is sufficient (50%). Questions on vaccine knowledge revealed weak points in misinformation. 45.1% of respondents stated you can get “the flu” from the influenza vaccine illustrating the need to combat false beliefs. Discussion: These findings align with prior research by Su & Chen (2023). Limitations include sample size and sampling frame. Future research should focus on combating vaccine misinformation among young adults and identifying the most effective strategies for disseminating accurate health information.

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