Knowledge and attitudes on pediatric vaccinations and intention to vaccinate in a sample of pregnant women from the City of Rome.
Attitudes
Knowledge
Pregnancy
Pregnant women
Vaccination
Vaccine hesitancy
Journal
Vaccine
ISSN: 1873-2518
Titre abrégé: Vaccine
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 8406899
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
28 03 2019
28 03 2019
Historique:
received:
17
08
2018
revised:
13
02
2019
accepted:
15
02
2019
pubmed:
5
3
2019
medline:
8
8
2020
entrez:
5
3
2019
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
In recent years, pediatric immunization rates in Italy have decreased well below the recommended thresholds, largely due to an increase in scepticism about the efficacy and safety of vaccines. We aimed to identify the degree of such scepticism, and the factors driving it, among a sample of pregnant women in the City of Rome. We conducted a cross-sectional survey on a sample of pregnant women attending antenatal classes (CANs) in Rome through distribution of a self-administered questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression models were built to analyze the determinants of knowledge, attitudes and intention to vaccinate in this population. A total of 458 pregnant women attending CANs in 36 family health centers and two hospitals in Rome answered the survey. Mean age was 32.9 (±5.0) years, and over 90% of women were in their first pregnancy. More than 26% of respondents showed a good level of knowledge of the safety and efficacy of vaccines, but there were high rates of uncertainty or agreement with some of the most common anti-vaccination sentiments. Only 75% of women were sure about vaccinating their children with the hexavalent vaccine, and 64.3% with MMR. A good level of knowledge was the strongest predictor of positive attitudes towards vaccination (OR 11.61, 95% CI 6.43-20.96), which, in turn, influenced the intention to vaccinate for most vaccines with the perception of the benefit of immunization for protection against disease. Scepticism about the safety, efficacy and importance of vaccines is associated to pregnant women's hesitancy to vaccinate their children, suggesting the need to develop strategies to increase vaccine acceptance in the antenatal period. The capacity of health care professionals, particularly midwives, to correctly deliver information to future parents should be strengthened in order to reduce the spread of misinformation and fear of vaccine safety.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
In recent years, pediatric immunization rates in Italy have decreased well below the recommended thresholds, largely due to an increase in scepticism about the efficacy and safety of vaccines. We aimed to identify the degree of such scepticism, and the factors driving it, among a sample of pregnant women in the City of Rome.
METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional survey on a sample of pregnant women attending antenatal classes (CANs) in Rome through distribution of a self-administered questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression models were built to analyze the determinants of knowledge, attitudes and intention to vaccinate in this population.
RESULTS
A total of 458 pregnant women attending CANs in 36 family health centers and two hospitals in Rome answered the survey. Mean age was 32.9 (±5.0) years, and over 90% of women were in their first pregnancy. More than 26% of respondents showed a good level of knowledge of the safety and efficacy of vaccines, but there were high rates of uncertainty or agreement with some of the most common anti-vaccination sentiments. Only 75% of women were sure about vaccinating their children with the hexavalent vaccine, and 64.3% with MMR. A good level of knowledge was the strongest predictor of positive attitudes towards vaccination (OR 11.61, 95% CI 6.43-20.96), which, in turn, influenced the intention to vaccinate for most vaccines with the perception of the benefit of immunization for protection against disease.
CONCLUSIONS
Scepticism about the safety, efficacy and importance of vaccines is associated to pregnant women's hesitancy to vaccinate their children, suggesting the need to develop strategies to increase vaccine acceptance in the antenatal period. The capacity of health care professionals, particularly midwives, to correctly deliver information to future parents should be strengthened in order to reduce the spread of misinformation and fear of vaccine safety.
Identifiants
pubmed: 30827733
pii: S0264-410X(19)30256-7
doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.02.049
pii:
doi:
Substances chimiques
Vaccines
0
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
1954-1963Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.