Understanding vaccine knowledge, attitudes, and decision-making through college student interviews

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Vaccinology
• Higher Education

Background:

• College-entry often requires specific immunizations.
• Understanding student perspectives on vaccines is essential for public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate college students' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding vaccines mandated for college entry.
• To identify factors influencing vaccine decision-making among undergraduate students.

Main Methods:

• Semistructured interviews were conducted with 33 undergraduate students in Philadelphia.
• Qualitative data analysis involved double-coding using NVivo 11 software, achieving high intercoder reliability (κ = 0.779).

Main Results:

• Key themes included low vaccine knowledge, mixed attitudes towards required vs. recommended vaccines, and high trust in medical professionals.
• Students perceived a low risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks and reported significant parental influence on their decisions.
• Utilization of Student Health Services for vaccination information or services was notably low.

Conclusions:

• Despite positive general attitudes towards vaccines, college students demonstrate a significant gap in knowledge and prioritization of vaccination requirements.
• Targeted educational interventions before college matriculation are necessary to improve vaccine awareness and uptake among this population.