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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2024 Mar 15.
Published in final edited form as: Vaccine. 2023 Mar 10;41(15):2572–2581. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.03.008

Table 4.

Sociodemographic factorsa associated with influenza vaccination hesitancy beliefs among adults aged ≥ 18 years, United States—National Internet Flu Survey, 2018.

Somewhat/very hesitant about influenza vaccinations Concerns about serious, long-term side effects impacted decision to get an influenza vaccination Personally know someone who has had a serious, long-term side effect from an influenza vaccination Doctor or health provider is not most trusted source of information about influenza vaccinations
Unadjusted Prevalence (95% CI) APDb (95% CI) Unadjusted Prevalence (95% CI) APD 95% CI) Unadjusted Prevalence (95% CI) APD (95% CI) Unadjusted Prevalence (95% CI) APD (95% CI)
Sex
Male 33.6 (31.1, 36.2) Reference 16.1 (14.2, 18.1) Reference 15.0 (13.1, 17.1) Reference 35.9 (33.3, 38.5) Reference
Female 40.0 (37.6, 42.5) 6.4 (2.9, 10.0) 21.0 (19.0, 23.1) 4.2 (1.3, 7.1) 14.6 (12.9, 16.4) −0.0 (−2.6, 2.5) 35.3 (33.0, 37.7) 2.4 (−1.0, 5.8)
Age group (in years)
18–49 41.1 (38.3, 43.9) Reference 19.7 (17.6, 22.1) Reference 16.9 (14.8, 19.2) Reference 41.5 (38.7, 44.4) Reference
50–64 38.0 (35.2, 40.9) −2.4 (−6.7, 1.8) 18.4 (16.3, 20.7) −0.8 −4.2, 2.6) 13.5 (11.6, 15.5) −0.3 (−3.4, 2.8) 33.3 (30.6, 36.1) −0.6 (−4.7, 3.5)
≥ 65 24.7 (22.3, 27.3) −14.5 (−19.3, −9.7) 16.0 (14.1, 18.2) −1.7 (−5.6, 2.2) 11.0 (9.3, 12.8) −3.8 (−7.1, −0.4) 22.7 (20.3, 25.2) −9.3 (−14.1, −4.6)
Race/ethnicity
Non-Hispanic White only 35.2 (33.0, 37.5) Reference 15.7 (14.1, 17.5) Reference 12.7 (11.2, 14.4) Reference 34.8 (32.6, 37.1) Reference
Non-Hispanic Black only 45.8 (41.1, 50.6) 8.0 (2.6, 13.4) 27.5 (23.3, 32.0) 9.9 (5.1, 14.74) 21.9 (18.0, 26.3) 5.8 (1.7, 9.9) 38.0 (33.4, 42.8) −0.4 (−5.6, 4.8)
Hispanic 39.1 (34.6, 43.7) −0.9 (−6.1, 4.3) 23.8 (20.1, 28.0) 4.9 (0.6, 9.2) 17.7 (14.3, 21.6) 3.5 (−0.4, 7.4) 35.6 (31.2, 40.2) −2.7 (−7.7, 2.2)
Non-Hispanic other or multiple races 33.5 (28.1, 39.5) −2.6 (−8.8, 3.6) 18.3 (14.0, 23.5) 3.2 (−1.9, 8.4) 15.1 (11.3, 20.0) 0.5 (−3.6, 4.6) 38.0 (32.2, 44.0) −1.2 (−7.4, 5.0)
Marital Status
Married/living with partner 36.1 (33.9, 38.3) Reference 18.4 (16.6, 20.2) Reference 12.9 (11.4, 14.6) Reference 32.9 (30.8, 35.1) Reference
Widowed/divorced/separated 39.1 (35.4, 42.9) 3.5 (−1.3, 8.2) 20.3 (17.4, 23.6) −0.5 (−4.2, 3.1) 16.1 (13.4, 19.2) 1.9 (−1.7, 5.5) 33.5 (29.9, 37.3) 3.7 (−0.8, 8.2)
Never married 37.8 (33.5, 42.2) −4.9 (−9.9, 0.1) 18.1 (15.0, 21.7) −3.5 (−7.5, 0.5) 19.0 (15.7, 22.9) 0.3 (−3.3, 3.8) 44.5 (40.1, 49.1) 3.7 (−1.3, 8.6)
Education level
High school or lower 42.4 (39.2, 45.6) Reference 23.9 (21.2, 26.7) Reference 19.1 (16.6, 21.8) Reference 38.2 (35.1, 41.4) Reference
Some college or college graduate 35.3 (33.0, 37.8) −8.0 (−12.3, −3.7) 15.8 (14.1, 17.7) −6.2 (−9.8, −2.6) 12.5 (10.9, 14.2) −1.4 (−4.3, 1.5) 34.0 (31.7, 36.5) −2.7 (−6.8,1.4)
Above college graduate 27.2 (23.7, 31.0) −14.0 (−19.5, −8.4) 13.4 (10.8, 16.4) −7.7 (−12.3, −3.2) 10.5 (8.2, 13.4) −1.7 (−5.8, 2.4) 33.5 (29.6, 37.6) −1.2 (−6.8, 4.3)
Employment status
Employed 39.3 (37.0, 41.6) Reference 19.4 (17.6, 21.3) Reference 14.0 (12.4, 15.8) Reference 38.3 (36.0, 40.6) Reference
Not employed/not in work force 33.0 (30.4, 35.8) −4.9 (−9.2, −0.6) 17.4 (15.4, 19.6) −4.4 (−7.5, −1.2) 16.0 (14.0, 18.3) 2.2 (−0.9, 5.3) 31.1 (28.4, 33.9) −3.1 (−7.3, 1.0)
Annual household income
<$35,000 39.5 (35.8, 43.4) Reference 24.5 (21.3, 28.0) Reference 22.3 (19.1, 25.9) Reference 37.8 (34.1, 41.7) Reference
$35,000–$49,999 38.1 (32.8, 43.7) −0.6 (−7.4, 6.1) 22.3 (17.9, 27.5) −1.5 (−7.2, 4.2) 16.2 (12.4, 20.8) −3.1 (−8.0, 1.9) 36.1 (30.8, 41.7) 0.8 (−5.6, 7.1)
$50,000–$74,999 43.8 (39.4, 48.2) 7.6 (1.6, 13.7) 19.4 (16.2, 23.1) −2.1 (−7.0, 2.8) 13.0 (10.2, 16.5) −5.3 (−9.6, −0.9) 35.9 (31.7, 40.4) 1.3 (−4.3, 7.0)
≥$75,000 33.2 (30.8, 35.7) −0.8 (−6.2, 4.5) 14.8 (13.1, 16.7) −5.6 (−10.0, −1.1) 11.6 (10.0, 13.4) −5.2 (−9.3, −1.0) 34.3 (31.9, 36.8) 2.2 (−3.0, 7.4)
Has a primary care medical home
Yes/more than one 34.8 (33.0, 36.7) Reference 18.2 (16.8, 19.7) Reference 13.2 (11.9, 14.5) Reference 29.6 (27.9, 31.4) Reference
No 52.9 (46.9, 58.7) 14.2 (7.8, 20.6) 23.4 (18.7, 28.9) 4.8 (−0.6, 10.1) 17.6 (13.5, 22.7) 1.1 (−3.5, 5.7) 65.5 (59.8, 70.8) 28.1 (21.7, 34.5)
Have high-riskc conditions for influenza complications
Yes 34.4 (31.5, 37.3) Reference 21.5 (19.1, 24.1) Reference 15.0 (12.9, 17.3) Reference 27.4 (24.8, 30.3) Reference
No 38.2 (36.0, 40.5) 2.0 (−1.7, 5.8) 17.2 (15.6, 19.0) −3.8 (−7.0, −0.6) 14.7 (13.1, 16.5) −1.0 (−3.7, 1.7) 39.7 (37.5, 42.0) 5.5 (1.9, 9.2)
Health insurance
Yes 35.5 (33.7, 37.3) Reference 18.1 (16.7, 19.6) Reference 12.7 (11.5, 14.0) Reference 31.8 (30.0, 33.6) Reference
No 53.2 (45.9, 60.3) 5.9 (−1.9, 13.7) 24.9 (19.2, 31.7) 2.1 (−3.9, 8.2) 23.2 (17.7, 29.9) 5.1 (−0.7, 10.9) 63.9 (56.9, 70.4) 17.2 (9.1, 25.3)
Metropolitan statistical area status
Metro 36.4 (34.6, 38.3) Reference 18.4 (16.9, 19.9) Reference 14.4 (13.0, 15.8) Reference 35.9 (34.0, 37.8) Reference
Non-metro 40.2 (35.2, 45.3) 2.4 (−2.9, 7.7) 20.2 (16.4, 24.6) 1.1 (−3.2, 5.3) 17.4 (13.7, 21.9) 3.4 (−0.8, 7.7) 33.9 (29.1, 39.0) −1.6 (−6.8, 3.6)

Note: Boldface indicates statistical significance (p < 0.05 by t-test when compared with reference group within column).

a

Separate multivariable logistic regression models were run for each influenza vaccination hesitancy question for a total of four individual models. The outcome variables were the self-reported influenza vaccination hesitancy beliefs.

b

Adjusted prevalence difference. The model adjusted for sex, age, race/ethnicity, marital status, education level, employment status, annual household income, having a usual place to go when sick, had high-risk conditions for influenza complications, having health insurance, and metropolitan statistical area status.

c

Respondents were defined as being at high risk for complications from influenza if they reported currently having any of the following conditions: asthma, diabetes, a lung condition other than asthma, heart disease (other than high blood pressure, heart murmur, or mitral valve prolapse), a kidney condition, sickle cell anemia or other anemia, a neurologic or neuromuscular condition, obesity, a liver condition, a weakened immune system caused by chronic illness or by medicines taken for a chronic illness such as cancer, chemotherapy, HIV/AIDS, steroids, and transplant medicines, or being currently pregnant.