Drug users' participation in a free hepatitis B vaccination program: demographic, behavioral, and social-cognitive determinants.

The present study was conducted as an evaluation of a two-year pilot program started in 1998 in the Netherlands to provide free hepatitis B vaccination targeted at drug users (DUs). In order to identify which demographic and social-cognitive factors predict vaccination uptake, written questionnaires were distributed in three pilot regions (Amsterdam, Tiel, and Maastricht) amongst all DUs that were invited to participate in the program during a 2-month period. Vaccination behavior 2 years later was anonymously and prospectively linked to the questionnaire data, which allowed us to investigate which factors predict vaccination behavior.

Social-cognitive determinants of vaccination behavior against hepatitis B: an assessment among men who have sex with men.

Background: Many individuals who are at risk for infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV), including men who have sex with men (MSM), are not vaccinated. This study assessed social-cognitive determinants of obtaining vaccination against HBV.

Methods: A targeted survey was conducted among 432 MSM by means of a written questionnaire that contained assessments of social-cognitive determinants of vaccination behavior derived from the Health Belief Model (HBM) and the Theory of Planned Behavior.