Influenza vaccination is the main means of preventing and reducing morbidity and mortality associated with this disease among the elderly population. The aim of the present study is to determine demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and health-related factors associated with vaccination among the elderly living in different areas of the State of Sao Paulo, in the 2001-2002 period. It is a cross-sectional population-based study including elderly subjects living in two areas of the State: one comprises the municipality of Campinas and the Butantã district in the City of São Paulo, and another comprises the municipalities of Taboão da Serra, Embu, and Itapecerica da Serra (metropolitan area of the City of Sao Paulo). The samples included 849 and 641 subjects, aged 60 years or older living in the two areas, respectively. Crude analysis was carried out using prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Multiple analysis was performed by Poisson regression. The prevalence of self-reported vaccination was 66.9% among residents of Campinas and in the Butantã district, and 67.6% among residents of the remaining cities. After adjusted analysis, among the subjects living in Campinas and in the Butantã district, only lesser schooling (PR = 1.25; 95%CI: 1.02-1.54) was associated with vaccination. In the group comprising the less densely populated municipalities, older age (PR = 1.15; 95%CI: 1.02-1.31), and reported hypertension (PR = 1.21; 95%CI: 1.02-1.45), diabetes (PR = 1.16; 95%CI: 1.01-1.33), and chronic pulmonary disease (PR = 1.30; 95%CI: 1.03-1.64) were also associated with the outcome. Despite the prevalence of influenza vaccination among the elderly populations in the different areas being practically identical, we found differences in the profile of elderly individuals with respect to reported vaccination.
Influenza vaccination; Prevalence; Cross-sectional studies; Elderly
