tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
PLoS One
. 2024 Jun 24;19(6):e0305877.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305877. eCollection 2024. Psychosocial correlates of parents' willingness to vaccinate their children against COVID-19
Hyunmin Yu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Stephen Bonett[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ufuoma Oyiborhoro[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Subhash Aryal[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Andrew Kim[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Melanie L Kornides[SUP] 1 [/SUP], John B Jemmott[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Karen Glanz[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Antonia M Villarruel[SUP] 1 [/SUP], José A Bauermeister[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background: Public health guidance recommended that children who are 6 months or older be vaccinated against COVID-19 in June of 2022. In the U.S., 56% of children under 17 had not received the COVID-19 vaccination in 2023. We examine parents' willingness to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 using the theory of planned behavior in order to design effective strategies to promote vaccine uptake.
Methods: The Philadelphia Community Engagement Alliance is part of an NIH community-engaged consortium focused on addressing COVID-19 disparities across the U.S. We surveyed 1,008 Philadelphia parents (mean age 36.86, SD 6.55; 42.3% racial/ethnic minorities) between September 2021 and February 2022, a period when guidance for child vaccination was anticipated. Structural Equation Modeling analysis examined associations between parental willingness and vaccine-related attitudes, norms, and perceived control. Covariates included parents' COVID-19 vaccination status, race/ethnicity, gender, and survey completion post-CDC pediatric COVID-19 vaccination guidelines. Subgroup analyses by race/ethnicity and gender were conducted.
Results: Our model demonstrated good fit (χ2 = 907.37, df = 419, p<0.001; comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.951; non-normed fit index [NNFI] = 0.946; root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.034 with 95% CI = 0.030-0.038). Attitudes ([Formula: see text] = 0.447, p<0.001) and subjective norms ([Formula: see text] = 0.309, p = 0.002) were predictors of intention. Racial/ethnic minority parents exhibited weaker vaccination intentions ([Formula: see text] = -0.053, p = 0.028) than non-Hispanic White parents.
Conclusions: Parents' attitudes and norms influence their vaccination intentions. Despite the survey predating widespread child vaccine availability, findings are pertinent given the need to increase and sustain pediatric vaccinations against COVID-19. Interventions promoting positive vaccine attitudes and prosocial norms are warranted. Tailored interventions and diverse communication strategies for parental subgroups may be useful to ensure comprehensive and effective vaccination initiatives.
. 2024 Jun 24;19(6):e0305877.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305877. eCollection 2024. Psychosocial correlates of parents' willingness to vaccinate their children against COVID-19
Hyunmin Yu[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Stephen Bonett[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ufuoma Oyiborhoro[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Subhash Aryal[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Andrew Kim[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Melanie L Kornides[SUP] 1 [/SUP], John B Jemmott[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Karen Glanz[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Antonia M Villarruel[SUP] 1 [/SUP], José A Bauermeister[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 38913679
- DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305877
Background: Public health guidance recommended that children who are 6 months or older be vaccinated against COVID-19 in June of 2022. In the U.S., 56% of children under 17 had not received the COVID-19 vaccination in 2023. We examine parents' willingness to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 using the theory of planned behavior in order to design effective strategies to promote vaccine uptake.
Methods: The Philadelphia Community Engagement Alliance is part of an NIH community-engaged consortium focused on addressing COVID-19 disparities across the U.S. We surveyed 1,008 Philadelphia parents (mean age 36.86, SD 6.55; 42.3% racial/ethnic minorities) between September 2021 and February 2022, a period when guidance for child vaccination was anticipated. Structural Equation Modeling analysis examined associations between parental willingness and vaccine-related attitudes, norms, and perceived control. Covariates included parents' COVID-19 vaccination status, race/ethnicity, gender, and survey completion post-CDC pediatric COVID-19 vaccination guidelines. Subgroup analyses by race/ethnicity and gender were conducted.
Results: Our model demonstrated good fit (χ2 = 907.37, df = 419, p<0.001; comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.951; non-normed fit index [NNFI] = 0.946; root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.034 with 95% CI = 0.030-0.038). Attitudes ([Formula: see text] = 0.447, p<0.001) and subjective norms ([Formula: see text] = 0.309, p = 0.002) were predictors of intention. Racial/ethnic minority parents exhibited weaker vaccination intentions ([Formula: see text] = -0.053, p = 0.028) than non-Hispanic White parents.
Conclusions: Parents' attitudes and norms influence their vaccination intentions. Despite the survey predating widespread child vaccine availability, findings are pertinent given the need to increase and sustain pediatric vaccinations against COVID-19. Interventions promoting positive vaccine attitudes and prosocial norms are warranted. Tailored interventions and diverse communication strategies for parental subgroups may be useful to ensure comprehensive and effective vaccination initiatives.