Adelynn Schafer and Janelle Macintosh, College of Nursing

Introduction

College students typically live immunologically vulnerable lifestyles, which often includes sleep deprivation and malnutrition (Buckworth & Nigg, 2004; Nieman, 2003). Additionally, they live in an environment that is densely populated and where infections spread quickly (Yang, 2012). Due to these risk factors, college students are at especially high risk of becoming infected with the influenza virus. Unfortunately, they are also a population that is unlikely to get vaccinated (Ramsey & Marczinski, 2011). Understanding college students’ attitudes and perceptions about the flu vaccination is key to developing and implementing interventions that will encourage them to receive the flu vaccination.

Methodology

We performed a qualitative analysis of the comments made in three focus groups that were led by myself and my mentor. The sample was composed of BYU undergraduate and graduate students. Approximately 6-10 students participated in each focus group, which lasted about one hour each. My mentor and I lead the groups using a semi-structured guide. Following each focus group, we analyzed our thoughts and notes from the session for themes. The themes were used to explore and describe the perceptions of BYU students toward the seasonal flu vaccine. Findings from this study will be used to determine interventions that would encourage students to get vaccinated.

Results

After analyzing the discussion that took place during each focus group, we found that the following themes repeatedly surfaced:

1. It is not common for college students to receive the flu vaccine
2. College students do not know or understand much about the vaccine including but not limited to…
   1. Where to get the vaccine
   2. What the vaccine is used for/how it acts in the body
   3. How much the vaccine costs
   4. Whether or not their insurance will cover the cost of the vaccine
3. The opinions of parents and Primary Care Providers have a lot of influence on whether or not students decide to get the vaccine
4. Students are less likely to think about receiving the flu vaccine for selfless reasons (i.e. herd immunity, etc)
5. Convenience is a key factor in students’ decision to get the vaccine
6. Students might get the flu vaccine if it were more convenient or if they knew more about it

Discussion

After discussing the themes from our study, we wanted to use the data to develop interventions that encourage students to receive the vaccine. One of the main themes of the study was that college students at BYU are not likely to receive the vaccine due to lack of convenience. Students mentioned that they would be more likely to receive the vaccine if it were offered in more convenient locations—i.e. on campus rather in the student health center. Another theme is the need to increase knowledge about the vaccine. Nurses can do this by better advertising for the vaccine, offering it in an area with more foot traffic, and promoting educational materials to fight uneducated opinions about the vaccination.

Conclusion

College students are not likely to receive the influenza vaccine, but they are a population that is at increased risk for contracting the flu. We wanted to improve flu vaccination rates among college students by increasing our understanding of their perceptions about the flu vaccine. College students are often self-oriented, and this carries over into their attitudes about the flu vaccine; nurses can promote the flu vaccine among college students by increasing convenience and advertisement for the vaccine.