Factors associated with tetanus vaccination coverage in adults in France and with knowledge of vaccination status

Background. - Every year, 15 to 20 tetanus cases are reported in France. The latest national figures showed that only 62 % of adults were up-to-date for this vaccination. We tried to determine the factors associated with vaccination coverage and with knowledge of vaccination status. Methods. - We analyzed data from the "Sante et Protection sociale" survey (2002). We analyzed the association between factors and tetanus vaccination coverage. We then explored the association between these factors and knowledge of vaccination status. Results. - Two demographic variables were only associated with vaccination coverage (higher coverage in male individuals and in individuals living in some regions of the country). Two socioeconomic variables were only associated with knowledge of vaccination status (higher knowledge in people from high income families and in managers/private professionals and in office workers). Coverage and status awareness both decreased with lower education level, in residents of large urban centers and in individuals without private medical insurance, and these two indicators were both associated to age but in an opposite direction. Conclusion. - Factors influencing vaccination coverage are rather demographic, whereas socioeconomic factors seem to influence more the knowledge of vaccination status. This distinction should help to target public health actions and adapt information for the least covered and the least informed groups. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.