Psychological Antecedents of Vaccination Among Health Vocational School Students: Associations With Self-Reported Infectious Diseases Course Exposure

Background: Vaccine-related concerns may persist among future healthcare personnel.We assessed the 5C psychological antecedents of vaccination among health vocational school students and examined their associations with self-reported exposure to an infectious diseases course. Materials and Methods:In this single-center, analytical, cross-sectional study conducted in Türkiye between May 11 and June 1, 2026, students completed a web-based questionnaire that included demographic characteristics, vaccine-related items, the Turkish 15item 5C scale, course-related questions, and an optional open-ended question.Adjusted general linear models included age, class year, sex, programme group, and graduation from a health vocational high school.Results: Of 427 records, 388 students were included in the analysis.Of these, 82.5% were female, and 59.5% reported taking an infectious diseases course.Internal consistency of the 5C subscales ranged from Cronbach's α = 0.593 to 0.888.Previous vaccine delay or non-vaccination was reported by 29.9% of participants and was associated with lower confidence scores and higher constraints scores (both p < 0.001).Among first-and second-year students (n = 379), self-reported course exposure was independently associated with lower constraints scores (F = 16.544,p < 0.001, partial η 2 = 0.043) and higher collective responsibility scores (F = 10.206,p = 0.002, partial η 2 = 0.027).Among students reporting course exposure, the perceived course impact score was 4.14 ± 0.65 and correlated with all five 5C domains.Safety or adverse-effect concerns were the leading specific theme in open-ended responses.Conclusion: Vaccine-related concerns and behaviors consistent with hesitancy were identified among students at health vocational schools.Self-reported exposure to an infectious diseases course was associated with lower perceived constraints and greater collective responsibility.Educational strategies addressing vaccine safety, misinformation, practical barriers, and collective responsibility may strengthen vaccination-related competencies among future healthcare personnel.