ANALYSIS OF FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN VACCINATION AGAINST VIRAL HEPATITIS B IN ARKHANGELSK REGION

• Published in: Journal Infectology
• Main Authors: T. V. Balaeva, E. A. Krieger, O. V. Samodova, A. M. Grjibovski
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Russian
• Published: Journal Infectology 2018
• Subjects: вакцинация; вирусный гепатит в; отношение населения; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arkhangelsk
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.22625/2072-6732-2018-10-1-80-88; https://doaj.org/article/75e909a0e4f34cd1aa027be13dd13c95

To reveal factors associated with negative attitude to vaccination against viral hepatitis B we performed two crosssectional studies including 1243 adults aged 18–39 years, recruited by a public opinion agency applying a quota sampling method to achieve a data set with similar age- and sex-distribution as the population in Arkhangelsk, and 2896 parents, visiting child’s health-care facilities of Arkhangelsk region.Binary logistic regression was used to analyze factors associated with negative attitude to vaccination.Among 1243 adult respondents 3,5% expressed a negative attitude to vaccination against viral hepatitis B. According to serological testing 15,9% of participants who demonstrated negative attitude to vaccination had serological markers of viral hepatitis B infection (HBsAg, antiHBc-antibodies, sometimes in combination with antiHBs-antibodies). Respondents younger than 30 years and people who had standard risk factors of infection (injecting drug use, blood transfusion, surgery, induced abortions, tattoo, 5 and more sexual partners in a year), more often demonstrated positive attitude to vaccination against viral hepatitis B in comparison with others.Among 2896 parents 1,6% expressed a negative attitude to vaccination of their children against viral hepatitis B. Factors associated with negative attitude to vaccination were age younger than 25 years, high education, concerns and misinformation about vaccines, distrust in physicians.Thus, young adult people, who had standard risk factors of infection, had positive attitude to vaccination against viral hepatitis B. Young parents underestimated the risk of infection in children and importance of timely vaccination. The major reasons for negative public attitude to vaccination against viral hepatitis B were lack of information about vaccination and, as a consequence, unawareness of the need of immunization.