Influenza a Vaccination Knowledge, Attitude, Practice of Athletes Competing in Canadian Interuniversity Sport in Calgary, Alberta

Janell Lautermilch, Tak Fung, Andrew Stewart, Patricia K. Doyle-Baker

Abstract


Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) athletes regarding influenza A vaccination. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: University of Calgary. Participants: The CIS athlete (N=450) population was sampled by convenience (n=177, mean age 20.4 ± 2.2 years) and compared to non-athlete kinesiology students (n=34, 21.06 ± 2.7 years of age). Independent variable: Vaccination history. Main outcome measures: A frequency analysis was employed to describe the KAP of each group. Groups were compared by c2 or Kruskal-Wallis analysis. Results: Over half of athletes were aware of influenza vaccination safety, effectiveness and side effects. Athletes were significantly more concerned about contracting the virus due to potential consequences, such as an interruption of training and infection of teammates, compared to non-athletes (p<0.05). Nearly one third (29.2%) of athletes reported vaccination participation. Conclusion: The vaccination participation of CIS athletes is low when requirements for herd immunity are considered.

Keywords: Athletes, university students, influenza, influenza A, knowledge, attitude, practice


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