Influenza Vaccination Status in Korean Adult Population in Relation with Socioeconomic and Medical Factors

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Influenza causes morbidity and mortality, resulting in the medical and socioeconomic costs. We aimed to analyse whether socioeconomic and medical factors may affect influenza vaccination status divided into 2 groups; one aged 19 to 64 years old and the other aged 65 or over who are eligible for free vaccination. METHODS: The study included 1,412 individuals aged 19 and over who responded to influenza vaccination survey, based on 2013 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Related factors were categorized into socioeconomic factors and medical factors. Univariate analyses were conducted to examine the correlations between vaccination rate and each variables. Multivariate analysis was obtained after adjusting variables which were statistcally significant. RESULTS: Influenza vaccination rate was significantly different in the population aged 19 to 64 (24.9%) and the population aged 65 or over (80.5%). In the former population, high vaccination rate was associated with healthcare usage (odds ratio [OR]=1.37, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.03-1.83), underlying chronic diseases (OR=2.21, 95% CI=1.43-3.40), and public assistance recipient households (OR=2.21, 95% CI=1.03-4.78), while low vaccination rate was correlated with no use of medical check up (OR=0.70, 95% CI=0.52-0.94) and heavy alcoholics (OR=0.41, 95% CI=0.24-0.70). In the latter population aged 65 or over, high vaccination rate was associated with healthcare usage (OR=1.82, 95% CI=1.28-2.59), and underlying malignancies (OR=4.79, 95% CI=1.07-21.54), whereas low vaccination rate was associated with public assistance recipient households (OR=0.33, 95% CI=0.14-0.76), and no use of medical check up (OR=0.37, 95% CI=0.19-0.73). CONCLUSIONS: In the population below 65 years old, vaccination rate would be expected to rise by the recommendation of medical care providers and expanding the coverage of free vaccination. In elderly, individualized care for those who have less access to medical care and high susceptibility is highly recommended.