Understanding the Current State of Vaccination Coverage in Arizona Schools: A Correlational Analysis

The purpose of this study was to investigate what correlations exist between the immunization and personal belief exemption (PBE) rates and selected characteristics of Arizona schools. The demographic information of a school's student body, the percentage of student who are on free or reduced lunch, the presence of a Title I program at the school, the median household income of the zip code the school resides in, and the presence of a school nurse were all compared with immunization and PBE rates. Using data provided by the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS), the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), and the United States Census Bureau, these factors were investigated for kindergarten and 6th grade students. It was found that a higher percentage of white students in a student body was correlated with an higher rate of PBE and a lower immunization rate for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), polio, and hepatitis B. A higher percentage of Hispanic students in a student body was correlated with a lower rate of PBE and a higher immunization rate for measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), polio, and hepatitis B. There was little to no correlation between the percentage of students on free or reduced lunch and immunization or PBE rates. A higher median household income was correlated with a higher rate of PBE in public and private schools. Additionally, the immunization rates at schools with a nurse were significantly higher and the rate of PBE was significantly lower than at schools without a nurse. Finally, schools with a Title I program had mean immunization rates that were significantly higher and a mean PBE rate that was significantly lower than schools that did not have a Title I program.