Fear of Injections in Young Adults: Prevalence and Associations

Abstract

Fear of injections may interfere with receipt of vaccines. The frequency, associations, and precipitators of fear-provoking factors of 400 travelers visiting a travel health clinic were evaluated. The median age of this group was 25, 7% were medical staff members, and 2.8% were regular injectors (insulin). Eighty-five (21.7%; 95% confidence interval, 17.3-25.6%) of the travelers indicated that they were afraid of injections, and in 8.2%, the fear was unreasonably intense. Multivariate analysis revealed that watching other people being vaccinated, fear of pain, needle size, and a history of fainting were highly and independently associated with injection phobia. The sensitivity, specificity, and discrimination accuracy of this model were 79.5%, 78.0%, and 78.3%, respectively. Injection phobia and a bad past vaccination experience were significantly associated with fainting. Perceived empathy, on the other hand, was a significant protective factor. Fear of injections was common in this cohort and was highly associated with past fainting after vaccination.

Survey of the prevalence of immunization non-compliance due to needle fears in children and adults

“…In that study, parents reported that 70% of children under the age of 10 years experienced fear, anxiety, or stress during a visit to the doctor or hospital for any needle-stick procedure (http://www.painfoundation.org/media/resources/painsurveys.html). The prevalence of needle fears among adults in the present study is similar to prior estimates from a general practice and a travellers' health clinic (22% for both) [7,14].…”

“…However, there was no evidence of an association between education level and needle fear. In addition, reported patterns of needle fear, influenza vaccine uptake and utilization of analgesic interventions were consistent with studies undertaken in individuals in other settings [7,14,25,30] suggesting applicability to other populations and settings. Under-reporting of needle fears and immunization compliance may have occurred due to the use of interviewers to administer surveys instead of using self-administered surveys and resulting social desirability bias.…”

Initial validation of a virtual blood draw exposure paradigm for fear of blood and needles

“…A unique concern associated with fear of blood or needle stimuli (in comparison to other phobias) is that an individual endorsing such fear may be at increased risk for syncopal symptoms (e.g., dizziness, lightheadedness) or syncope (i.e., transient loss of consciousness) following exposure to blood or needles [10,26,38]. The pre/syncopal response is not universal but affects approximately 80% of individuals endorsing such phobia [28,35].…”

Coated microneedles for transdermal delivery

“…The oral route is generally not available, due to poor absorption, drug degradation and low bioavailability. This is problematic, because parenteral administration with hypodermic needles requires expertise for delivery, can lead to transmission of blood borne pathogens due to accidental needle sticks or intentional needle reuse, and causes pain, which results in reduced patient compliance due to needle phobia [2,3].…”