Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Richard Lyn-Cook, MD, Ethan Halm, MD, MPH, and Juan Wisnivesky, MD, MPH. Division of General Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai Medical Center, 1 Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, 212-659-8551, lyncoorx@yahoo.com

Background: Influenza infection in asthmatics increases the risk of exacerbations, hospitalizations, and death. However, <50% of adult asthmatics are routinely vaccinated.

Objective: To assess health beliefs of inner city minority asthmatics regarding influenza vaccination and identify predictors associated with vaccine adherence.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 167 adult asthmatics at a large, inner city hospital-based primary care clinic over a 12-month period. Information was collected on demographics, vaccination beliefs, asthma severity, medication use, and prior history of hospital and emergency department utilization. Vaccination belief questions were based on the Health Belief Model. Patients who reported receiving influenza immunization most or every year were considered adherent to vaccination. The independent association of health beliefs and vaccination adherence was evaluated using logistic regression.

Results: Patient mean age was 48.5 years, 70% were women, and 95% non-white. Overall, 71% were adherent with regular influenza vaccination. In multivariate analyses, older age, doctor/nurse recommendation, belief that the vaccine protects against flu, and belief that the vaccine could not cause a cold, were significant predictors of adherence (p<.002 for all), even after adjusting for gender, steroid use, and asthma severity.

Conclusions: Vaccination beliefs and physician recommendation are associated with influenza vaccination adherence among inner-city asthmatics. Future interventions to improve vaccination rates among asthmatics should address these potentially modifiable factors.

Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to

• List 3 consequences of influenza infection in asthmatics.
• Describe the health beliefs of inner-city asthmatics with respect to influenza vaccination
• Devise an instructional strategy for providers and patients to increase influenza vaccination rates

Keywords: Asthma, Immunizations

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No