Variations in Influenza Vaccination Among the Elderly

Author: Lemon Stephenie C.   Rakowski William   Clark Melissa A.   Roy Jason   Friedmann Peter D.  

Publisher: PNG Publications

ISSN: 1945-7359

Source: American Journal of Health Behavior, Vol.28, Iss.4, 2004-07, pp. : 352-360

Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.

Previous Menu Next

Abstract

Objectives: To identify unique, mutually exclusive population segments whose members share characteristics associated with likelihood of influenza vaccination.Methods: Data from 30,668 elderly participants in the 1999 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Systems was analyzed using classification and regression tree analysis.Results: Eleven subgroups were identified: Non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics with no recent checkup had the lowest prevalence estimate (28.1%), whereas married white persons aged 75 plus with a recent checkup had the highest (80.6%).Conclusions: Influenza vaccination varies greatly according to preventive medical care use and race/ethnicity, factors that are amenable to targeted outreach efforts.