Vaccinate for Influenza Prevention

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V.I.P.: Vaccinate for Influenza Prevention

Research Method: Intervention Research
Principal Investigators: Jean J. Schensul, Ph.D.; George Kuchel, M.D., FRCP

Grant: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Partners: The Center on Aging at the University of Connecticut Health Center (UCHC) (Grantee); Hartford Housing Authority (HHA); VNA Health Care, Inc. (VNA); the North Central Area Agency on Aging (NCAAA); the Adult Immunization Program of the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Dates of Study: 2005-2007

Project Results Now Available

Background

Influenza disproportionately affects African-American, Latino and other minority and low-income older adults. Complications related to influenza may result in hospitalization and subsequent declines in wellbeing among older adults, especially those with chronic health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and asthma. Although more Americans are getting vaccinated each year, significant disparities between minority and white adults persist and disparities increase as income and health care access decrease. In densely populated residential communities, an increase in vaccination rates can greatly improve both individual and community health. V.I.P.: Vaccinate for Influenza Prevention is designed to increase knowledge, promote positive attitudes toward and increase influenza vaccination rates and at the same time to encourage a proactive and sustainable approach to health maintenance among low-income, primarily minority older adults living independently in senior housing buildings in Hartford, CT.

Other ICR studies conducted with residents of senior housing provided the basis for V.I.P.: Vaccinate for Influenza Prevention. ICR researchers have investigated HIV risk among older adults in Hartford and Chicago, depression and access to mental health services among older adults in Hartford, and conducted an arts-based intervention in which building residents came together to share life experiences and strategies for successful aging. A V.I.P. feasibility and acceptability pilot study (2004-5) tested key components of the current intervention, including committee development, flu training, one-on-one interactive education, a single event flu campaign and flu clinics. It also piloted a survey to assess the reliability and validity of influenza knowledge, beliefs, self-efficacy and social norms scales.

Project Goals and Objectives

Identify local barriers to vaccine acceptance among older low-income, ethnically diverse residents in senior housing facilities.
Integrate the results of this research into an already-developed, peer-led approach to improving flu vaccine uptake based on theories of empowerment, social influence, and self-regulation.
Test the efficacy of the intervention in one senior housing site against a matched control building.
Finalize the model and develop a manual for expanding the intervention into additional sites.

Project Details

In the intervention building, project staff engage volunteer residents who constitute the V.I.P. Committee in an empowerment-based training program in which they will learn about influenza, flu prevention and vaccination importance. Residents learn to converse with other building residents about these topics and plan and conduct a flu campaign, consisting of a number of different events, and two flu clinics. A flu clinic is held in the comparison building, to assess vaccine acceptance without the intervention.

Representatives of each collaborating organization form the Flu Strategic Alliance, meeting regularly to provide guidance in the overall implementation of the study and the dissemination of results. By contrasting pre and post program results in the intervention and control buildings, the study team will determine whether the intervention has improved flu vaccine attitudes, knowledge, beliefs and acceptance. Sustainability of the intervention approach will be determined by assessing the capacity of the V.I.P. committee to plan and implement flu vaccination events and flu clinics with minimal outside support the following year. Results of the V.I.P. program will inform the development of an intervention model that can be expanded successfully to additional senior housing buildings. This model will use a design that empowers older adults with limited incomes to promote proactive influenza vaccination acceptability, disease prevention, and other health maintenance activities.

This project resulted in a curriculum that was tested in a CDC funded efficacy study, "Vaccinate for Prevention: Increasing flu vaccination acceptance among undervaccinated minority and low income residents of senior housing."

Project Findings

Poster presentation (pdf)

Project Contact:
Jean J. Schensul, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator

Kim E. Radda, R.N., ABD

Project Director

Project Staff:

ICR

Jean J. Schensul, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator

Kim Radda, RN, MA.

Project Director

William Disch, Ph.D.

Senior Data Analyst