- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone age 6 months and older receive an annual influenza (flu) vaccine. Despite this, during the 2023-2024 flu season, only 48.3% of adults 18+ years of age received the flu vaccine (CDC, 2024).
Two different ‘scenarios’ are provided below. For each, I want you to use the HBM to explain why vaccine uptake is high (scenario 1a) and low (scenario 1b). You’ll answer each question separately. You must address each of the following HBM constructs in your answer:
- perceived susceptibility
- perceived severity
- perceived threat
- Benefits
- Barriers
Explain and provide specific examples [several] for each construct that may help to explain high or low vaccine uptake. Don’t just say ‘perceived susceptibility and threat may be low’. For example, when talking about perceived susceptibility, provide explanations of why they may have high/low perceived susceptibility. Remember- you are using the HBM, specifically, to explain low vaccine uptake (not personal experiences, opinions, etc.).
1a. Data show that vaccine uptake in those 65+ years of age is higher. In 2023-2024, 74.5% of this age group got the flu shot. Using the HBM, and the instructions provided above, explain why vaccine uptake may be higher in this age group. Use the table below to organize your answer. (4 points)
| Explanations/Specific examples to explain high vaccine uptake | |
| perceived susceptibility | |
| perceived severity | |
| perceived threat | |
| Benefits | |
| Barriers |
1b. Data show that vaccine uptake in young adults (e.g. those 18-29 years) is much lower. Only 34% of this age group got the flu shot in 2023-2024. Using the HBM, and the instructions provided above, explain why vaccine uptake may be lower in this age group. Use the table below to organize your answer. (4 points)
| Explanations/Specific examples to explain low vaccine uptake | |
| perceived susceptibility | |
| perceived severity | |
| perceived threat | |
| Benefits | |
| Barriers |
1c. What role might modifying factors play in vaccine uptake? Explain/provide specific examples. You should include 2 modifying factors. Use the table below to organize your answer. (2 points).
| Modifying factor | Explain/provide specific examples |
1d. What might be some potential ‘cues to action’ that would either increase perceived threat towards the flu and/or increase perceived benefits/reduce barriers to the flu shot? Remember- cues to action aim to alter perceptions …. they serve as a ‘reminder’. [3 points]
- I want you to list 6— and be specific. Don’t just say ‘a flyer’ or ‘a commercial’. Provide details for each (note that ‘details’ may be different depending on the cue to action; if you talk about experiencing symptoms, describe what they may be; if you talk about receiving a brochure, talk about what it focuses on where they received/saw it, etc. Regardless, there should be some level of detail provided with each cue to action).
- For each cue, you will specify who the target audience is (e.g. parents of 5-11 year olds, college students, adults, those in rural communities, teens, older adults, minority communities, pregnant women, etc). You don’t have to target the same audience for all NOR do you have to focus on the subgroups from 1b and 1c above.
| Target audience | Cue to action (description) | |
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 | ||
| 6 |
1e. If we were to create a program using the HBM to increase flu vaccine uptake, what would the outcomes boxes of our logic model look like? Complete the logic model below (2 points)
| Short-term outcomes | Intermediate outcomes | Long-term outcomes | ||
- We know that cues to action can help to increase perceived threat and provide a reminder to engage in the targeted behavior. For this question, you will create an educational resource that will serve as a ‘cue to action’. Choose one of the health outcome/pairs listed below:
| Option | Health outcome | Health behavior |
| 1 | Colon cancer | colonoscopy |
| 2 | Breast cancer | Mammogram |
| 3 | Flu | Flu vaccine |
| 4 | COVID-19 | COVID vaccine |
| 5 | Cervical cancer | HPV vaccine |
| 6 | Hypertension | Blood pressure screening |
Next choose who the target audience is for the educational piece: _________________
Create a brochure, pamphlet, a large wall poster, a ‘potty posting’, etc (it can be a number of different things) that will increase perceived threat towards the health outcome, and also remind them to engage in the targeted health behavior. Note that the outcome/behavior pair has to be one from the table above. The following document (Simply Put: A guide for creating easy to understand materials) provides guidance for creating effective print materials. Review this document and follow guidelines as you create your educational material. I will be looking to see that the following guidelines/suggestions are met as I grade: clarity of message, text appearance, appropriate use of visuals, layout/design, culture is considered (when applicable), readability. I understand that some may not apply, depending on the type of material you choose to create. Appendix A has a great ‘checklist’. Upload this material as a separate document in Canvas. [5 points]