Knowledge of and attitudes to influenza vaccination in healthy primary healthcare workers in Spain, 2011-2012

PLoS One. 2013 Nov 18;8(11):e81200. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081200. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for healthcare workers, but many do not follow the recommendation. The objective of this study was to investigate the factors associated with seasonal influenza vaccination in the 2011-2012 season. We carried out an anonymous web survey of Spanish primary healthcare workers in 2012. Information on vaccination, and knowledge and attitudes about the influenza vaccine was collected. Workers with medical conditions that contraindicated vaccination and those with high risk conditions were excluded. Multivariate analysis was performed using unconditional logistic regression. We included 1,749 workers. The overall vaccination coverage was 50.7% and was higher in workers aged ≥ 55 years (55.7%), males (57.4%) and paediatricians (63.1%). Factors associated with vaccination were concern about infection at work (aOR 4.93; 95% CI 3.72-6.53), considering that vaccination of heathcare workers is important (aOR 2.62; 95%CI 1.83-3.75) and that vaccination is effective in preventing influenza and its complications (aOR 2.40; 95% CI 1.56-3.67). No association was found between vaccination and knowledge of influenza or the vaccine characteristics. Educational programs should aim to remove the misconceptions and attitudes that limit compliance with recommendations about influenza vaccination in primary healthcare workers rather than only increasing knowledge about influenza and the characteristics of the vaccine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Attitude of Health Personnel*
  • Data Collection
  • Female
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Health Personnel / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / immunology
  • Influenza Vaccines / administration & dosage
  • Influenza, Human / immunology
  • Influenza, Human / prevention & control*
  • Influenza, Human / psychology*
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Personal Satisfaction
  • Primary Health Care
  • Spain
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Vaccination*
  • Workforce

Substances

  • Influenza Vaccines

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, Institute of Health Carlos III, Programme of Research on Influenza A/H1N1 (Grant GR09/0030), and the Catalan Agency for the Management of Grants for University Research (AGAUR Grant number 2009/ SGR 42). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, the decision to publish or the preparation of the manuscript.