title: Predictors of seasonal influenza vaccination among healthcare workers in hospitals: a descriptive meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vaccinating healthcare workers (HCWs) against influenza is one of the most important methods of decreasing influenza transmission among at-risk patients in healthcare facilities. However, despite recommendations, the rate of uptake of influenza vaccine among HCWs remains low. The objective of this meta-analysis was to determine the most important predictors of seasonal influenza vaccine acceptance among HCWs in hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  A literature search of PubMed and Embase resulted in 4586 hits. Screening of the titles, abstracts and full text identified 13 studies eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Based on the crude data, pooled risk ratios (Mantel-Haenszel risk ratios, mhRR) and their 95% CIs were calculated using Mantel-Haenszel analysis to estimate the associations of predictors with influenza vaccination status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowing that the vaccine is effective (mhRR 2.22; 95% CI 1.93 to 2.54), being willing to prevent influenza transmission (mhRR 2.31; 95% CI 1.97 to 2.70), believing that influenza is highly contagious (RR 2.25; 95% CI 1.66 to 3.05), believing that influenza prevention is important (mhRR 3.63; 95% CI 2.87 to 4.59) and having a family that is usually vaccinated (RR 2.32; 95% CI 1.64 to 3.28) were statistically significantly associated with a twofold higher vaccine uptake. We therefore recommend targeting these predictors when developing new influenza vaccination implementation strategies for hospital HCWs.
authors.affiliation: University of Groningen, Department of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, PO Box XB45, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands. j.riphagen@umcg.nl
authors.forename: Josien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Riphagen-Dalhuisen
authors.forename: Giedre
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gefenaite
authors.forename: Eelko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hak
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D011361:Professional Competence; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines