Factors associated with influenza vaccine coverage among patients with diabetes: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2016-2018.

Background: Although the influenza vaccine has been proven to be effective, this common disease has high morbidity and mortality rates. Moreover, adults with diabetes are at a high risk of influenza-mediated morbidity and mortality.

Purpose of The Study: With the increasing prevalence of diabetes, influenza is more lethal in diabetics; thus, we aimed to investigate the factors associated with influenza vaccination coverage in patients with diabetes.

Methods: Cross-sectional data were obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2018). We retrospectively analyzed whether sociodemographic, health-related, and medical factors are associated with influenza vaccination coverage in patients with diabetes. We performed a complex sample logistic regression analysis and estimated the odds ratios (ORs) by adjusting for statistically significant factors.

Results: The number of survey subjects was 18,553. The vaccine coverage rate among patients with diabetes was 60.6%. In the univariate analysis, sex, educational level, smoking, exercise, drinking, marital status, private health insurance, activity limit, economic activity, age, and EuroQol-5 Dimension scores, which were used to assess health-related quality of life, were associated with vaccination coverage. In the multivariate analysis, only age and economic activity were associated with vaccination coverage. The vaccination coverage rate was higher for people who did not undertake economic activities and who were older (OR 1.512 (1.087-2.105), OR 2.212 (1.822-2.686), respectively,  < 0.001).

Conclusion: National interventions involving public health centers are necessary to encourage influenza immunization for patients with diabetes, especially younger patients and those who work or undertake economic activities.