title: Trust in medical organizations predicts pandemic (H1N1) 2009 vaccination behavior and perceived efficacy of protection measures in the Swiss public.
abstract: Following the recent avian influenza and pandemic (H1N1) 2009 outbreaks, public trust in medical and political authorities is emerging as a new predictor of compliance with officially recommended protection measures. In a two-wave longitudinal survey of adults in French-speaking Switzerland, trust in medical organizations longitudinally predicted actual vaccination status 6 months later, during the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 vaccination campaign. No other variables explained significant amounts of variance. Trust in medical organizations also predicted perceived efficacy of officially recommended protection measures (getting vaccinated, washing hands, wearing a mask, sneezing into the elbow), as did beliefs about health issues (perceived vulnerability to disease, threat perceptions). These findings show that in the case of emerging infectious diseases, actual behavior and perceived efficacy of protection measures may have different antecedents. Moreover, they suggest that public trust is a crucial determinant of vaccination behavior and underscore the practical importance of managing trust in disease prevention campaigns.
authors.affiliation: University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Ingrid.Gilles@unine.ch
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gilles
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bangerter
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clémence
authors.forename: Eva G T
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Franciska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Krings
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Staerklé
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wagner-Egger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058873:Pandemics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines