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Psychosocial Influences on Parental Decision-Making Regarding Vaccination Against Seasonal Influenza for Young Children in Hong Kong: a Longitudinal Study, 2012–2013

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Abstract

Purpose

Vaccination uptake remained low, although annual subsidies are provided to encourage 6–72-month-old Hong Kong children to be vaccinated against seasonal influenza. This study was aimed to investigate the psychosocial influences on parental decision-making regarding young children’s seasonal influenza vaccination.

Methods

One-thousand two-hundred twenty-six parents of eligible children were recruited using random digit dialing in August–October 2012 to assess baseline perceptions and re-contacted in March 2013 to record children’s vaccination uptake. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to examine factors associated with parental decision about children’s vaccination based on the complete data of 1222 respondents.

Results

Of the 1226 respondents who completed the follow-up survey, 34.3 % reported that their child was vaccinated during the follow-up period. Child’s past influenza vaccination history (β = 0.48), belief in vaccination safety (β = 0.35), and social norms (β = 0.25) were strongly associated with parental intention to vaccinate their child which directly predicted child vaccination uptake (β = 0.57). Belief in vaccination safety (β = 0.42) and social norms (β = 0.36) were strongly associated with vaccination intention of parents whose children never received influenza vaccine.

Conclusion

Interventions that address concerns on vaccination safety and utilize social norms may be effective to initiate Chinese parents to vaccinate their children.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Qiuyan Liao, Wendy Wing Tak Lam, Benjamin J. Cowling & Richard Fielding

Authors
  1. Qiuyan Liao
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  2. Wendy Wing Tak Lam
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  3. Benjamin J. Cowling
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  4. Richard Fielding
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qiuyan Liao.

Ethics declarations

BJC reports receipt of research funding from MedImmune Inc. and Sanofi Pasteur for studies of influenza vaccines and consulted for Crucell NV. The authors declare no other potential conflict of interest. We conformed to the Helsinki Declaration concerning human rights and informed consent and followed correct procedures concerning treatment of humans and animals in research.

Appendix

Appendix

Table 3 Items, their standardized factor loadings on the specific construct, and associated response scales
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Table 4 Response distribution of each item included in the structural equation model
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Liao, Q., Lam, W.W.T., Cowling, B.J. et al. Psychosocial Influences on Parental Decision-Making Regarding Vaccination Against Seasonal Influenza for Young Children in Hong Kong: a Longitudinal Study, 2012–2013. Int.J. Behav. Med. 23, 621–634 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-016-9551-1

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