Motivating Seasonal Influenza Vaccination among College Students: A Social Marketing Intervention Study | Competitive Research Funding Schemes for the Local Self-financing Degree Sector 2020/21: Faculty Development Scheme | HK$ 395,441 | Reference no.: UGC/FDS24/B03/20

Competitive Research Funding Schemes for the Local Self-financing Degree Sector 2020/21: Faculty Development SchemeProject reference no.: UGC/FDS24/B03/20 Project title: Motivating Seasonal Influenza Vaccination among College Students: A Social Marketing Intervention StudyFunded amount: HK$ 395,441

Seasonal Influenza-associated illnesses and deaths continue to be a global health burden (WHO, 2018). Influenza is a highly infectious disease and the risk of a campus-wide outbreak is high due to the close study, social, and living environment among college students. Although vaccination is evidently the most effective measure to prevent seasonal influenza, the annual vaccination rate among college students is exceedingly low. Increasing the uptake rate of influenza vaccines among college students benefits both the students and the community. First, the prevention of influenza among college students averts impaired academic performance and social interaction caused by influenza-related symptoms. Second, vaccinated students with immunity to influenza virus also protect their close contacts and the community from influenza complications and subsequent morbidity and mortality. Therefore, an effective strategy to promote seasonal influenza vaccination among college students is essential.

While health promotion campaigns aiming at motivating vaccination through information provision and education do not effectively affect vaccination behaviour, researchers and practitioners called for social marketing intervention strategy to address the shortcoming of traditional cognitive approach (Nowak, Gellin, MacDonald, & Butler, 2015; WHO, 2013). Since the World Health Organization (WHO) advocated exploring the potential value of social marketing approach to addressing low vaccination rate (WHO, 2013), empirical studies predominantly focused on high-risk population groups such as young children and elderly people. To address the gap in knowledge and a neglected important topic, this research intends to use a formative research study to inform the development of a social marketing campaign designed to motivate seasonal influenza vaccination among college students.

The proposed research will contribute to the understanding of the potential value of marketing principles and practices in public health promotion with emphasis on seasonal influenza vaccination. This study also has significant practical implications for Hong Kong with four months of winter influenza surge in a year (GovHK, 2019a). The findings of this research will help healthcare policymakers and health promotion practitioners in higher education institutions to effectively affect influenza vaccination behaviour among college students. Results of the research will also offer insights for teaching courses in relation to social marketing and the application of marketing principles in public health promotion.