A survey of university students on attitudes, behaviors, and intentions toward influenza vaccination

Objective To determine attitudes, behaviors, and intentions of university students regarding influenza vaccination. Participants Undergraduate, graduate, and professional students enrolled at a private, midwestern university. Methods A 24-item electronic survey was designed and distributed after literature review and inputs from experts on immunizations. Bivariate tests were performed to observe differences between various subgroups of respondents (age, gender, race/ethnicity, housing, and academic program). Multivariate logistic regression was performed to find associations with their vaccination preferences. Results Of 3,267 complete responses (36.3% of total students), 75% reported obtaining influenza vaccination in 2016–2017. Vaccination rates were highest for Asian (81.0%) and lowest for Black students (59.6%). Health professional student vaccination rates of 89.3% were achieved with a vaccination mandate in place. Lowest immunization rates were identified for law (47.1%) and business (52.7%) students. Positive promotional factors were identified. Conclusions Access to free, on-campus vaccinations, mandates and promotional efforts are associated with high influenza vaccination rates.