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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Mar 6.
Published in final edited form as: Vaccine. 2017 Jan 17;35(8):1167–1174. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.12.046

Table 2.

Survey Measures

Concept/Variable Type of scale & # of Items Cronbach’s alpha Abbreviated Item Wording Response categories (# of Scale Points)
OUTCOME: Flu vaccine behavior 1 – Did you get a flu vaccine this season No or Yes (0 or 1)
RACIAL FACTORS
 Racial fairness* Mean of 2 items 0.702

  1. The government acts in the best interest of people in my racial group

  2. People of my race are treated fairly in a healthcare setting

 Never (1) - Very often (5)
 Racial consciousness in health care setting* Mean of 4 items 0.743

  1. I think about my race when I am in a healthcare setting

  2. Because of my race I have less reason to trust flu vaccine than other groups

  3. Racism makes a difference in getting access to certain medicines or treatments

  4. The healthcare system favors my race over other groups

 Never (1) - Very often (5)
 Frequency of discrimination 1 – How often have you experienced racial discrimination in healthcare settings Never (1) - Frequently (3)
 Impact of discrimination 1 – How much has racial discrimination interfered with your getting good health care Not at all (1) – A lot (4)
TRUST & RISK PERCEPTION
 Trust in the flu vaccine 1 – Overall how much do you trust the flu vaccine Not at all (1) - Completely (5)
 Trust in the vaccine process Mean of 5 items 0.925 When it comes to the vaccine process, how much do you trust: (1) the World Health Organization, (2) the pharmaceutical or drug companies, (3) the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), (4) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and (5) the professionals who give the flu vaccine Not at all - (5) (1) Completely
 Perceived disease risk (conditional on actual vaccine behavior) Mean of 4 items 0.836

  1. How likely are you to get the flu (cognitive)

  2. How severe do you think the flu would be (cognitive)

  3. How much would you worry about the flu (affective)

  4. How much regret do you think you would feel if you did get the flu (affective)

 4 and 5-point scales
 Perceived vaccine risk (conditional on actual vaccine behavior) Mean of 4 items 0.842

  1. How likely are you to have side effects of the vaccine (cognitive)

  2. How severe do you think the side effects would be (cognitive)

  3. How much would you worry about side effects (affective)

  4. How much regret do you think you would feel if you did have side effects (affective)

 4 and 5-point scales
 Perceived disease risk (conditional on actual vaccine behavior) Mean of 4 items 0.836

  1. How likely are you to get the flu (cognitive)

  2. How severe do you think the flu would be (cognitive)

  3. How much would you worry about the flu (affective)

  4. How much regret do you think you would feel if you did get the flu (affective)

 4 and 5-point scales
 Perceived vaccine risk (conditional on actual vaccine behavior) Mean of 4 items 0.842

  1. How likely are you to have side effects of the vaccine (cognitive)

  2. How severe do you think the side effects would be (cognitive)

  3. How much would you worry about side effects (affective)

  4. How much regret do you think you would feel if you did have side effects (affective)

 4 and 5-point scales
VACCINE BELIEFS
 Belief in naturalism 1 – I use home remedies instead of vaccines to prevent the flu Does not describe me (1) - Describes very well (4)
 Flu vaccine attitude 1 – In general how much do you favor or oppose the flu vaccine Strongly oppose (1) - strongly favor (5)
 Belief in conspiracy theories Mean of 5 items 0.881

  1. The main reason for promoting the flu vaccine is for drug companies to make money

  2. The flu vaccine is a way to experiment on people without their knowledge

  3. Harmful side effects from the flu vaccine are often covered up

  4. The flu vaccine is used as a way to harm certain groups of people

  5. A lot of important information about the flu vaccine is not shared with the public

 Not at all true (1) - Definitely true (4)
FLU VACCINE KNOWLEDGE
 Self-reported flu knowledge 1 – How much would you say you know about the flu vaccine Nothing (1) - A great deal (5)
 Specific flu knowledge Count of # true-false statements correct (7) –

  1. The flu vaccine helps stimulate a natural immune response

  2. A flu vaccine will protect you from the flu for many years

  3. The flu vaccine does not include all the types of flu circulating in the US this year

  4. Flu vaccines must be tested and approved every year

  5. Flu vaccines change every year because the types of flu virus change all the time

  6. Even if the flu vaccine does not contain all types of virus going around it can still help reduce the seriousness and length of time I am sick if I get the flu

  7. The flu vaccine this year is less effective than most years

 True or False
VACCINE HESITANCY & CONFIDENCE
 General vaccine hesitancy 1 – Overall, how hesitant are you about getting vaccinations Not at all hesitant (1) - Very hesitant (4)
 Flu vaccine hesitancy Mean of 2 items 0.622

  1. How much did you think about it before you got the flu vaccine this season

  2. How much concern, if any, did you have about getting the flu vaccine this season

 None at all (1) - A great deal (4)
 Flu vaccine confidence Mean of 4 items 0.928 Rating of adjectives describing the flu vaccine: (1) Necessary (2) Important (3) Safe (4) Effective Not at all (1) - Very much (4)
 Flu vaccine barriers Mean of 2 items 0.894 Rating of adjectives describing the flu vaccine: (1) Affordable (2) Convenient Not at all (1) - Very much (4)
 Confidence in vaccine decision 1 – How confident were you in your decision about the flu vaccine (wording conditional on their actual decision) Not at all confident (1) - Very confident (4)
PERCEIVED SOCIAL NORMS
 Descriptive norm (US pop) 1 – How many {of the people in the US} do you think get a flu vaccine every year Few (1) - Nearly All (5)
 Descriptive norm (my race) 1 – How many {of people of your race} do you estimate get a flu vaccine every year Few (1) - Nearly All (5)
 Subjective norm 1 – Of the people close to you what proportion want you to get a flu vaccine Few (1) - Nearly all (5)
 Moral norm 1 – It is my moral obligation to other people to get a flu vaccine Agreement: Not at all (1) - Very strongly (4)
 Injunctive norm 1 – What is the expectation at your workplace when it comes to the flu vaccine No expectation (1) - Encouraged - Required (3)
*

All questions were applicable to both black and white respondents since they use “people of my race” as a referent