Original Article Exploring the Link Between Hepatitis A and B Vaccination and Social Support in the US Population: Insights from the NHANES 2005-2006 Cohort
Author(s)
Daniel Bancovsky
Manjushree Shastry
Martina Caccamo
Omar E. Vásquez-Pérez
Merce Avellanet
Kumud Chapagain
Rebecca Santos Soares
Magali Coyoy-Say
Hoàng Bách Nguyễn
Juliana Calit
Asma Qudayr
Rintu Sharma
Cynthia L. P. de Borborema
Grupo Fleury, São Paulo, Brazil
Sebastine Oiwoh
Beatrice Dal Bianco
Maria Antonieta Lopes
Ricardo E. Nunez-Rocha
Maria Magalhaes
São Leopoldo Mandic, Campinas, Brazil
Faiez Alsatou
Felipe Duarte
Jessica Rodriguez
Universidad de Cuenca, Ecuador
Ilgin Genc
Walter Enrique Mogrovejo Ramos
Fabricio Kleber
Patricia Rioja
Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas, Lima, Peru
Ignacio Montealegre
Isabel Cabral
Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra Campus Santiago. Dominican Republic
Luiz Viola
Barbara Grohmann
Faculdade São Leopoldo Mandic, Campinas, Brazil
Y. Wendy Huynh
Lucas Vidoto
Hapvida, Brazil
Arantxa Ramirez
Anny Christina Chin
Syneos Health, functional service provider dedicated to AbbVie, São Paulo, Brazil
Alessandra Carvalho
Date Issued
22 de septiembre de 2025
Type
Article
Volume
11
Issue
2
Abstract
Background: High social support is easily assessed and associated with a healthier lifestyle, including vaccination adherence. Similarly, immunization is a widely available public health statistic associated with healthier behaviors. However, the link between the hepatitis immunization status and social support needs to be explored. Methods: We assessed the association between levels of social support and hepatitis immunization status using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a cross-sectional multidisciplinary database publicly available for researchers. With 2005–2006 data, 2997 participants were included. Statistical analyses were conducted using STATA18.5v software, including the odds ratio of both univariable logistic regression and multivariable logistic regression. After adjusting for clinically relevant confounders, two distinct models were designed: 1) full immunization, and 2) incomplete immunization. Results: Multivariable analysis revealed significantly greater odds of high social support for participants fully or partially immunized against both hepatitis A and B: 3.15 (95% CI 1.03–9.66,p=0.04) and 3.35 (95% CI 1.15–9.75,p=0.03), respectively. Conclusion: Our findings show an association between vaccination and social support in both adjusted models. Individuals not vaccinated at all may behave differently from those willing to be, at least partially, immunized. It seems that a similar behavior that may lead to vaccination may also lead to increased social support. Therefore, our study suggests that hepatitis vaccination could perhaps be a surrogate marker for public-health-related outcomes.
Subjects