The impact of vaccine concerns on racial/ethnic disparities in influenza vaccine uptake among health care workers

R.P. Ojha, S. Stallings-Smith, P.M. Flynn, E.E. Adderson, T.N. Offutt-Powell and A.H. Gaur

American Journal of Public Health, 2015, vol. 105, issue 9, e35-e41

Abstract: Objectives. We explored whether collective concerns about the safety, effectiveness, and necessity of influenza vaccines mediate racial/ethnic disparities in vaccine uptake among health care workers (HCWs). Methods. We used a self-administered Web-based survey to assess race/ ethnicity (exposure), concerns about influenza vaccination (mediator; categorized through latent class analysis), and influenza vaccine uptake (outcome) for the 2012 to 2013 influenza season among HCWs at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. We used mediation analysis to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the total, direct, and indirect effects of race/ethnicity on influenza vaccine uptake. Results. Non-Hispanic Blacks had lower influenza vaccine uptake than non- Hispanic Whites (total effect: PR = 0.87; 95% CI = 0.75, 0.99), largely mediated by high concern about influenza vaccines (natural indirect effect: PR = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.84, 0.94; controlled direct effect: PR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.85, 1.1). Hispanic and Asian HCWs had modestly lower uptake than non-Hispanic Whites, also mediated by high concern about influenza vaccines. Conclusions. Racial/ethnic disparities among HCWs could be attenuated if concerns about the safety, effectiveness, and necessity of influenza vaccines were reduced.

Keywords: influenza vaccine, adolescent; adult; African American; age; ancestry group; Caucasian; ethnic group; female; health care personnel; Hispanic; human; Influenza, Human; male; middle aged; psychology; sex difference; statistics and numerical data; United States; young adult, Adolescent; Adult; African Americans; Age Factors; Continental Population Groups; Ethnic Groups; European Continental Ancestry Group; Female; Health Personnel; Hispanic Americans; Humans; Influenza Vaccines; Influenza, Human; Male; Middle Aged; Sex Factors; Tennessee; Young Adult (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2015.302736_9

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302736

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