The attitude-behavior gap in vaccine acceptance among medical students: A single‑center study

Ufuk Acar; Burcu Beyazgül; İbrahim Koruk

doi:10.20518/tjph.1721763

The attitude-behavior gap in vaccine acceptance among medical students: A single‑center study

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine medical students’ level of knowledge regarding vaccines, assess the prevalence of vaccine hesitancy, and identify key factors influencing both attitudinal and behavioral acceptance. Methods: In this single‑center cross‑sectional study (April-May 2023), 305 medical students at Harran University completed a 37‑item interview‑administered questionnaire. Attitudinal and behavioral acceptance (complete acceptance/hesitancy/rejection) were assessed, and predictors of hesitancy were identified via decision‑tree analyses. Results: Of the participants, 47.2% did not know the infant/childhood vaccination schedule, while 30.5% and 36.7% reported having completed hepatitis B and varicella vaccines, respectively. Attitudinal complete acceptance was 82.0%, whereas behavioral complete acceptance was 9.2% with 69.5% hesitancy, indicating a pronounced attitude–behavior gap. Uptake of recommended vaccines was generally low (25.2-36.7%), highest for varicella (36.7%). Clinical phase students showed higher complete acceptance in both attitude and behavior (p<0.05); formal training on vaccines/immunization and COVID 19 related anxiety were associated with higher attitudinal acceptance (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). Across vaccine types, the most common reason for non vaccination was “never recommended/reminded.” Decision tree models highlighted vaccine related knowledge, personal/family vaccination experiences, and media influences as major drivers of hesitancy. Conclusion: Findings underscore a substantial attitude–behavior gap alongside suboptimal uptake. Targeted strategies to bridge knowledge gaps and translate positive attitudes into actual vaccination behavior-particularly addressing knowledge/awareness, experiential factors, and the communication/media environment are essential for reducing hesitancy among future healthcare providers.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval was obtained from the Harran University Clinical Research Ethics Committee (approval date: 20/02/2023; decision no: HRÜ/23.03.14), and institutional permission was granted by the Dean’s Office of Harran University Faculty of Medicine. All procedures complied with the institutional guidelines for human research and adhered to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Health Promotion, Health Literacy

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Ufuk Acar ^*
0000-0002-2663-8307
Türkiye

Burcu Beyazgül
0000-0002-0417-3588
Türkiye

İbrahim Koruk
0000-0001-9564-2214
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

December 15, 2025

Publication Date

December 30, 2025

Submission Date

June 18, 2025

Acceptance Date

September 12, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 23 Number: 3

DOI

https://doi.org/10.20518/tjph.1721763

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA97AT22PY

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Acar, U., Beyazgül, B., & Koruk, İ. (2025). The attitude-behavior gap in vaccine acceptance among medical students: A single‑center study. Turkish Journal of Public Health, 23(3), 300-311. https://doi.org/10.20518/tjph.1721763

AMA

1.Acar U, Beyazgül B, Koruk İ. The attitude-behavior gap in vaccine acceptance among medical students: A single‑center study. TJPH. 2025;23(3):300-311. doi:10.20518/tjph.1721763

Chicago

Acar, Ufuk, Burcu Beyazgül, and İbrahim Koruk. 2025. “The Attitude-Behavior Gap in Vaccine Acceptance Among Medical Students: A Single‑center Study”. Turkish Journal of Public Health 23 (3): 300-311. https://doi.org/10.20518/tjph.1721763.

EndNote

Acar U, Beyazgül B, Koruk İ (December 1, 2025) The attitude-behavior gap in vaccine acceptance among medical students: A single‑center study. Turkish Journal of Public Health 23 3 300–311.

IEEE

[1]U. Acar, B. Beyazgül, and İ. Koruk, “The attitude-behavior gap in vaccine acceptance among medical students: A single‑center study”, TJPH, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 300–311, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.20518/tjph.1721763.

ISNAD

Acar, Ufuk - Beyazgül, Burcu - Koruk, İbrahim. “The Attitude-Behavior Gap in Vaccine Acceptance Among Medical Students: A Single‑center Study”. Turkish Journal of Public Health 23/3 (December 1, 2025): 300-311. https://doi.org/10.20518/tjph.1721763.

JAMA

1.Acar U, Beyazgül B, Koruk İ. The attitude-behavior gap in vaccine acceptance among medical students: A single‑center study. TJPH. 2025;23:300–311.

MLA

Acar, Ufuk, et al. “The Attitude-Behavior Gap in Vaccine Acceptance Among Medical Students: A Single‑center Study”. Turkish Journal of Public Health, vol. 23, no. 3, Dec. 2025, pp. 300-11, doi:10.20518/tjph.1721763.

Vancouver

1.Ufuk Acar, Burcu Beyazgül, İbrahim Koruk. The attitude-behavior gap in vaccine acceptance among medical students: A single‑center study. TJPH. 2025 Dec. 1;23(3):300-11. doi:10.20518/tjph.1721763