Fear of injections in young adults: prevalence and associations

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2003 Mar;68(3):341-4.

Abstract

Fear of injections may interfere with receipt of vaccines. The frequency, associations, and precipitators of fear-provoking factors of 400 travelers visiting a travel health clinic were evaluated. The median age of this group was 25, 7% were medical staff members, and 2.8% were regular injectors (insulin). Eighty-five (21.7%; 95% confidence interval, 17.3-25.6%) of the travelers indicated that they were afraid of injections, and in 8.2%, the fear was unreasonably intense. Multivariate analysis revealed that watching other people being vaccinated, fear of pain, needle size, and a history of fainting were highly and independently associated with injection phobia. The sensitivity, specificity, and discrimination accuracy of this model were 79.5%, 78.0%, and 78.3%, respectively. Injection phobia and a bad past vaccination experience were significantly associated with fainting. Perceived empathy, on the other hand, was a significant protective factor. Fear of injections was common in this cohort and was highly associated with past fainting after vaccination.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Child
  • Fear*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Injections / psychology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prevalence
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Travel