title: Efficacy of informational letters on hepatitis B immunization rates in university students.
abstract: A randomized, controlled trial was conducted at a private university to determine whether students who received an informational letter (n = 366) would be more likely to receive a hepatitis B vaccination than students in a control group (n = 366). Surveys were conducted to determine the students' reasons for deciding to be vaccinated. Rates of hepatitis B immunization were significantly higher among students assigned to the intervention group (10.7%) than among the control group (1.9%). Vaccinated students were more likely than unvaccinated students to report having had 3 or more sexual partners in the past 6 months. Students at higher risk for hepatitis B infection were more likely than others to be vaccinated. Although the overall rate of immunization was low, informational letters about the hepatitis B virus and vaccine were found to be efficacious in increasing hepatitis B immunization rates among students in the setting of a concurrent educational campaign.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, USA.
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Marron
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Lanphear
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kouides
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dudman
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Manchester
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Christy
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013333:Student Health Services; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*