Information Source Dependence, Presumed Media Influence, Risk Knowledge and Vaccination Intention

Adults aged 18–29 have the lowest vaccination rates in the United States, which include the college student segment. Even though influenza can spread quickly on a college campus and its adjacent communities, only 8–39% of college students receive vaccination annually. This study assesses the influence of media exposure, knowledge, and perceptual factors on college students to gain a better understanding of how they respond to flu-related risk communication. Results from conducting an online survey of undergraduate students ( N = 515) show that the more they depended on social media for risk information, the more likely they intend to seek vaccination. Presumed media influence of online-news and social media dependence on others was each a significant predictor of perceived others’ vaccination intention, which in turn had a direct effect on an individual’s own vaccination intention. Those that were more knowledgeable about the virus also reported a lower intention to receive vaccination. Implications for future research and risk information dissemination were discussed.