COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Uptake Among Firefighters: An Application of the Health Belief Model

Details

• Personal Author:
  Dabrowski D ; Dinh JM ; Hooker SA ; McKinney ZJ ; Muegge J ; Nadeau AM ; Zabel EW ; Ziegenfuss JY
• Description:
  Objective: The aim of this study was to assess COVID-19 vaccination prevalence and explore whether health beliefs were associated with vaccination among firefighters. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was distributed to Minnesota firefighters in March-April 2022. Survey questions included demographics, vaccination status, and beliefs about COVID-19 and vaccines. Results: Of the survey respondents (n = 974, 91% male, 89% White), 76% were fully vaccinated and 53% were boosted. Firefighters were less likely to be vaccinated if they reported more perceived barriers (OR = 0.42, P < 0.001), greater decision-making ease (OR = 0.42, P < 0.001), and greater autonomy (OR = 0.65, P = 0.04). Greater perceived benefits (OR = 2.63, P < 0.001) and social norms (OR = 2.10, P < 0.001) were associated with a greater likelihood of being vaccinated. Similar results were seen predicting booster status. Conclusions: Firefighters had similar vaccination rates as the general population, despite high exposure risks. Health beliefs are strongly related to vaccination status. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Communicable Diseases Emergency Responders Firefighters Occupational Health Safety Surveys And Questionnaires
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: First Responders Beliefs COVID-19 Cross Sectional Studies Fire Fighters First Responders Health Surveys SARS-CoV-2 Survey Theory Vaccination Vaccines

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• ISSN:
  1076-2752
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Chicago Region [OSHA] ; Minnesota
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  19-26
• Volume:
  67
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20070202
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Med 2025 Jan; 67(1):19-26
• Contact Point Address:
  Stephanie A. Hooker, PhD, MPH, Division of Research and Evaluation, HealthPartners Institute, 8170 33rd Ave S, Mail Stop 21112R, Minneapolis, MN 55425
• Email:
  stephanie.a.hooker@healthpartners.com
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2025
• Performing Organization:
  Minnesota State Department of Health, St. Paul
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20100701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4f27e6b87f2ac649004ee35e6638f588556006b750c4546f0e9726c9789188d3dc7d9d4d135c6cb229c7f4cd263bf8341aa56cf1bab518f6e25fd2329addc0b4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/208458/cdc_208458_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 312.15 KB ]