Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a vaccine education module (VEM) on college freshmen’s intended vaccination behaviors, vaccine-related perceptions, and vaccine knowledge. Although vaccine requirements for university students are a vital public health strategy, most institutions in the United States do not mandate all recommended immunizations. In today’s environment, where vaccine misinformation and hesitancy remain common, understanding how evidence-based education influences vaccine attitudes is increasingly important. A pre-COVID-19 study showed that a VEM improved students’ vaccine beliefs and intentions; this study assessed these outcomes in a post-COVID-19 context.
A pretest/posttest quasi-experimental design was used. Participants were freshmen enrolled at a large private university in the western United States between September 2024 and June 2025. Students completed a pre-VEM questionnaire, viewed a 10-minute online VEM, and then completed a post-VEM questionnaire. Knowledge checks enhanced engagement. Measures evaluated behavioral intentions, perceptions, and knowledge. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired-samples t tests.
A total of 140 freshmen were included. Common pre-VEM concerns were: none (20.7%), cost (20.7%), and uncertainty about which vaccines to receive (18.6%). After the VEM, the most frequent concerns were: none (35%), cost (19.3%), and safety or effectiveness (11.4%). All behavioral intention items showed statistically significant improvement. Students reported increased likelihood of talking with a healthcare provider (pre M=3.54, post M=4.01; t=–6.547, p< .001), reduced likelihood of delaying vaccination (pre M=1.55, post M=1.35; t=3.373, p< .001), and greater likelihood of encouraging others to vaccinate (pre M=2.49, post M=3.06; t=–7.424, p< .001). Effect sizes reflected medium effects for consulting a provider (d=–.553) and encouraging others (d=–.627), and a small effect for reduced intention to delay vaccination (d=.285).
Findings demonstrate meaningful shifts in freshmen students’ concerns, behavioral intentions, and vaccine-related understanding in the post-COVID-19 environment. Brief, targeted education can strengthen vaccine confidence and support proactive vaccination behaviors, with implications for nursing practice, patient education, campus health programming, and public health efforts to increase vaccination coverage among young adults.
Notes
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Sigma Membership
Iota Iota
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Quasi-Experimental Study, Other
Research Approach
Quantitative Research
Keywords:
Public and Community Health, Virtual Learning, Academic-Clinical Partnership, Immunization, College Students, Post-COVID 19 Era
Recommended Citation
Luthy, Karlen E.; Macintosh, Janelle L. B.; Vang, Alyssa; and Johnson, Janessa, "Strengthening Vaccine Confidence Among College Freshmen in the Post-COVID-19 Era" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 252.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/252
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-08-30
Strengthening Vaccine Confidence Among College Freshmen in the Post-COVID-19 Era
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a vaccine education module (VEM) on college freshmen’s intended vaccination behaviors, vaccine-related perceptions, and vaccine knowledge. Although vaccine requirements for university students are a vital public health strategy, most institutions in the United States do not mandate all recommended immunizations. In today’s environment, where vaccine misinformation and hesitancy remain common, understanding how evidence-based education influences vaccine attitudes is increasingly important. A pre-COVID-19 study showed that a VEM improved students’ vaccine beliefs and intentions; this study assessed these outcomes in a post-COVID-19 context.
A pretest/posttest quasi-experimental design was used. Participants were freshmen enrolled at a large private university in the western United States between September 2024 and June 2025. Students completed a pre-VEM questionnaire, viewed a 10-minute online VEM, and then completed a post-VEM questionnaire. Knowledge checks enhanced engagement. Measures evaluated behavioral intentions, perceptions, and knowledge. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired-samples t tests.
A total of 140 freshmen were included. Common pre-VEM concerns were: none (20.7%), cost (20.7%), and uncertainty about which vaccines to receive (18.6%). After the VEM, the most frequent concerns were: none (35%), cost (19.3%), and safety or effectiveness (11.4%). All behavioral intention items showed statistically significant improvement. Students reported increased likelihood of talking with a healthcare provider (pre M=3.54, post M=4.01; t=–6.547, p< .001), reduced likelihood of delaying vaccination (pre M=1.55, post M=1.35; t=3.373, p< .001), and greater likelihood of encouraging others to vaccinate (pre M=2.49, post M=3.06; t=–7.424, p< .001). Effect sizes reflected medium effects for consulting a provider (d=–.553) and encouraging others (d=–.627), and a small effect for reduced intention to delay vaccination (d=.285).
Findings demonstrate meaningful shifts in freshmen students’ concerns, behavioral intentions, and vaccine-related understanding in the post-COVID-19 environment. Brief, targeted education can strengthen vaccine confidence and support proactive vaccination behaviors, with implications for nursing practice, patient education, campus health programming, and public health efforts to increase vaccination coverage among young adults.
Description
This study examined the impact of a vaccine education module for college freshmen in the post-COVID-19 era. Statistically significant improvements were found in students’ likelihood of talking with healthcare providers, avoiding vaccination delays, and encouraging others to vaccinate, along with notable shifts in concerns. Findings indicate that short, evidence-based programs can meaningfully strengthen vaccine confidence on college campuses.