COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Students in Public Institutions of Higher Education in Arkansas in 2021

Author:

Zohoori Namvar12ORCID,Barsotti Tara2,Porter Austin12,Brown Clare1,Amick Benjamin C.13,Cima Mike2,Gandy Jay14,Markham Maria5

Affiliation:

1. Faye W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA

2. Arkansas Department of Health, Little Rock, AR, USA

3. Winthrop J. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA

4. Northwest Regional Campus, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA

5. Division of Higher Education, Arkansas Department of Education, Little Rock, AR, USA

Abstract

Objective: Disparities in COVID-19 vaccine coverage among college students are not well studied. We analyzed the extent of COVID-19 vaccination among all students at public institutions of higher education in Arkansas in spring and fall 2021 and examined factors associated with vaccination rates. Methods: We matched student enrollment data for the spring and fall 2021 semesters separately with immunization registry data to determine the COVID-19 vaccination status of students in each semester. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine variables associated with being fully vaccinated. Results: Overall, by the end of the fall 2021 semester, 49.1% of students were fully vaccinated, compared with 52.3% of students at the end of the spring 2021 semester. However, we observed important differences between student groups. Students who were in rural areas (vs urban areas), freshman (vs all other class years), at a 2-year college (vs 4-year college), non-Hispanic Black (vs Hispanic or non-Hispanic White), or in a nonhealth major (vs health major) were less likely to be fully vaccinated. Conclusion: Given the disparities in COVID-19 vaccine coverage among college students, continued efforts are needed in this young, but important, population segment to address students’ confidence in vaccines and to make vaccines more available and accessible on and near campuses. Novel approaches for tailored messaging and interventions to facilitate vaccine uptake may be needed for groups such as non-Hispanic Black students and students in rural areas who are less likely, compared with their counterparts, to accept COVID-19 vaccines.

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Subject

Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Reference28 articles.

1. National Center for Education Statistics. College Enrollment Rates: Condition of Education. US Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences; 2023. Accessed June 16, 2023. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cpb

2. Hanson M; Education Data Initiative. College enrollment and student demographic statistics. 2022. Updated April 22, 2022. Accessed June 23, 2022. https://educationdata.org/college-enrollment-statistics

3. Multiple COVID-19 Clusters on a University Campus — North Carolina, August 2020

4. Participation in Fraternity and Sorority Activities and the Spread of COVID-19 Among Residential University Communities — Arkansas, August 21–September 5, 2020

5. A Cross-Sectional Study Examining the Seroprevalence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Antibodies in a University Student Population

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