Adult vaccination hesitancy in Turkey: sociodemographic influences and strategies for increasing acceptance
Discover public health, cilt.22, sa.1, 2025 (ESCI, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 22 Sayı: 1
- Basım Tarihi: 2025
- Doi Numarası: 10.1186/s12982-025-00971-2
- Dergi Adı: Discover public health
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Vaccine hesitancy, Vaccine refusal, Vaccine, Immunization, Adult
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Background: Immunization prevents 3.5–5 million deaths annually from diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and measles. However, vaccine hesitancy—defined as delayed acceptance or refusal despite availability—poses a global health challenge. Addressing hesitancy is crucial for improving vaccine acceptance. Objective: This study aimed to assess adult attitudes toward immunization and explore strategies to increase vaccine acceptance, focusing on sociodemographic factors. Methodology: A descriptive, single-center study was conducted in Istanbul, Turkey at the University of Health Sciences Şişli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital between August and October 2022. A total of 1,006 adult participants (aged 18 and above) were surveyed using a 14-item questionnaire that collected sociodemographic data and evaluated attitudes toward vaccination. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20 with Chi-Square and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Results: Among 1,006 participants (mean age 37.47 ± 8.27 years), 42.1% were male, and 73.4% had a high school or higher education. Vaccine hesitancy was reported by 41.8% (n = 421), with fear of side effects being the most cited reason (41.3%). Despite this, 88.7% had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 50% had experienced COVID-19 illness. Higher education levels were significantly associated with positive attitudes toward vaccination (p < 0.001), while age was not (p = 0.278). Additionally, 77.2% reported knowing individuals with anti-vaccination attitudes, and 9.9% supported anti-vaccination movements. Conclusions: This study highlights the significant influence of educational attainment on adult vaccine acceptance and the pervasive impact of fear and misinformation on hesitancy toward adult vaccination. Family physicians play a critical role in addressing hesitancy through education and emphasizing the importance of lifelong adult immunization. Increasing awareness and addressing missed vaccination opportunities are essential for improving adult immunization rates.