Effects of Education on Correcting Misconceptions and Acceptance of the Influenza Vaccination Among a College Campus

Educating patients on the influenza vaccination is an important goal for health care providers. It fosters a working relationship between provider and patient and allows patients to make an informed decision on their health care needs. The percentage of individuals who receive the influenza vaccine in the United States has been consistently below goals set by the committee for Healthy People 2020. This DNP scholarly project aimed to determine whether the introduction of education was effective at increasing individuals’ choice to vaccinate against the influenza virus among college campus students. The study was a non-experimental, non-randomized control trial that utilized a simple random sample of students attending a Midwestern college. The theoretical framework utilized for this scholarly project is Pender’s health promotion model. A modified version of the College Student’s Perception of Influenza Vaccine and Childhood Immunizations survey was used utilizing a Likert scale which assessed responses to 22 questions before and after viewing an educational video created by this researcher. After the data was collected, a t-test and logistic regression were used to compare differences in the distribution of responses, and p values were used to determine the statistical significance while comparing the participants’ answers before and after education and vaccination status. The study found statistical significance to indicate that educational intervention improved participants’ knowledge/understanding surrounding the influenza vaccine and childhood vaccinations