Promoting Influenza Vaccination to Restaurant Employees

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate an evidence-based workplace approach to increasing adult influenza vaccination levels applied in the restaurant setting

Design: We implemented an intervention and conducted a pre/post analysis to determine effect on vaccination.

Setting: Eleven Seattle-area restaurants.

Subjects: Restaurants with 25+ employees speaking English or Spanish and over 18 years.

Intervention: Restaurants received influenza vaccination promotion materials, assistance arranging on-site vaccination events, and free influenza vaccinations for employees.

Measures: Pre/post employee surveys of vaccination status with direct observation and employer interviews to evaluate implementation.

Analysis: We conducted descriptive analysis of employee survey data and performed qualitative analysis of implementation data. To assess intervention effect, we used a mixed-effects logistic regression model with a restaurant-specific random effect.

Results: Vaccination levels increased from 26% to 46% (adjusted odds ratio 2.33, 95% confidence interval 1.69, 3.22), with 428 employees surveyed preintervention, 305 surveyed postintervention, and response rates of 73% and 55%, respectively. The intervention was effective across subgroups, but there were restaurant-level differences.

Conclusion: An access-based workplace intervention can increase influenza vaccination levels in restaurant employees, but restaurant-level factors may influence success.

Keywords: Employee; Health focus: medical self care; Hispanic/Latino; Immunization; Influenza; Manuscript format: research; Outcome measure: behavioral; Prevention Research; Promotion; Research purpose: intervention testing; Setting: workplace; Strategy: behavior change; Study design: pre/post analysis; Target population age: adults; Target population circumstances: low-income; Vaccination; Workplace.