Beliefs about influenza and avoidance of free influenza immunization among people with chronic diseases.

Objective: People with chronic diseases may have poor influenza-related outcomes. The study objective was to examine the association between the dimensions of the Health Belief model and noncompliance with influenza immunization.

Method: study participants were community-dwelliing individuals from the Foča region (Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina) listed to receive free influenza immunization for the season 2017/2018 due to chronic diseases. After vaccination season was completed, we included all nonvaccinated people and the corresponding number of vaccinated people. The data collection lasted from April to December 2018 using a sociodemographic questionnaire and modified Health Belief model Applied to Influenza.

Results: The study sample consisted of 295 people of which 149 (50.5%) were immunized against influenza in the past season. Adjusted logistic regression model suggested that people who scored lower on domains of Seriousness (odds ratio [] = .79, 95% confidence interval [CI] [.69, .91]), Benefits ( = .83, 95% CI [.76, .91]) and Cue to action ( = .79, 95% CI [.73, .86]), but higher the Barriers domain ( = 1.10, 95% CI [1.03, 1.17]), were less likely to receive vaccination in the past season. People who did not receive recommendation from a health care worker and who were never vaccinated against influenza did not comply with influenza vaccination across all models ( < .01).

Conclusion: Perceiving influenza as less serious, less beneficial, having fewer cues to action, and perceiving more barriers to influenza vaccination were associated with skipping influenza immunization. Not receiving health care worker recommendation and never being vaccinated against influenza were also associated with avoidance of vaccination. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).