Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2013

Open Access 01-12-2013 | Research article

Parental information-seeking behaviour in childhood vaccinations

Authors: Irene A Harmsen, Gemma G Doorman, Liesbeth Mollema, Robert AC Ruiter, Gerjo Kok, Hester E de Melker

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2013

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

People want to be well informed and ask for more information regarding their health. The public can use different sources (i.e. the Internet, health care providers, friends, family, television, radio, and newspapers) to access information about their health. Insight into the types and sources of vaccine related information that parents use, and reasons why they seek extra information is needed to improve the existing information supply about childhood vaccinations.

Methods

Dutch parents with one or more children aged 0–4 years received an online questionnaire (N = 4000) measuring psychosocial determinants of information-seeking behaviour and self-reports of types and sources of vaccine information searched for (response rate 14.8%). We also tested two invitation approaches (i.e., reply card versus Internet link in invitation letter) to observe the difference in response rate.

Results

Almost half of the parents (45.8%) searched for extra information. Of all the respondents, 13% indicated they had missed some information, particularly about side effects of vaccines (25%). Intention to search for vaccination information was influenced by positive attitude and perceived social norm towards information-seeking behaviour. There was no difference in the response rate between the two invitation approaches.

Conclusions

The information provided by the National Immunization Programme (NIP) might be sufficient for most parents. However, some parents mentioned that they did not receive enough information about side effects of vaccinations, which was also the topic most searched for by parents. Public Health Institutes (PHIs) and child healthcare workers should therefore be aware of the importance to mention this aspect in their communication (materials) towards parents. The PHIs must ensure that their website is easy to find with different search strategies. Since the child healthcare worker is perceived as the most reliable information source, they should be aware of their role in educating parents about the NIP.
Literature
1.
Rains SA: Perceptions of traditional information sources and use of the world wide web to seek health information: findings from the health information national trends survey. J Health Commun. 2007, 12: 667-680. 10.1080/10810730701619992.CrossRefPubMed
2.
Anderson JG: Consumers of e-health: patterns of use and barriers. Soc Sci Comput Rev. 2004, 22: 242-248. 10.1177/0894439303262671.CrossRef
3.
Brashers DE, Goldsmith DJ, Hsieh E: Information seeking and avoiding in health contexts. Hum Commun Res. 2002, 28: 258-271. 10.1111/j.1468-2958.2002.tb00807.x.CrossRef
4.
Dolan G, Iredale R, Williams R, Ameen J: Consumer use of the internet for health information: a survey of primary care patients. Int J Consum Stud. 2004, 28: 147-153. 10.1111/j.1470-6431.2003.00363.x.CrossRef
5.
Johnson JD, Meischke H: A comprehensive model of cancer-related information seeking applied to magazines. Hum Commun Res. 1993, 19: 343-367. 10.1111/j.1468-2958.1993.tb00305.x.CrossRef
6.
Kivits J: Researching the informed patient. Inf Commun Soc. 2004, 7: 510-530. 10.1080/1369118042000305629.CrossRef
7.
Napoli PM: Consumer use of medical information from electronic and paper media: literature review. The internet and health communication: experience and expectations. Edited by: Rice RE, Katz JE. 2012, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 79-98.
8.
Hesse BW, Nelson DW, Kreps GL, Croyle RT, Arora NK, Rimer BK, Viswanath K: Trust and sources of health. The impact of the Internet and its implications for health care providers: findings from the first health information national trends survey. Arch Intern Med. 2005, 165: 2618-2624. 10.1001/archinte.165.22.2618.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Kummervold PE, Chronaki CE, Lausen B, Prokosch HU, Rasmussen J, Santana S, Staniszewski A, Wangberg SC: eHealth trends in Europe 2005–2007: a population-based survey. J Med Internet Res. 2008, 10: 42-10.2196/jmir.1023.CrossRef
10.
Cline RJ, Haynes KM: Consumer health information seeking on the internet: the state of the art. Health Educ Res. 2001, 16: 671-692. 10.1093/her/16.6.671.CrossRefPubMed
11.
May T: Public communication, risk perception, and the viability of preventive vaccination against communicable diseases. Bioethics. 2005, 19: 407-421. 10.1111/j.1467-8519.2005.00452.x.CrossRefPubMed
12.
Downs JS, De Bruin WB, Fischhoff B: Parents’ vaccination comprehension and decisions. Vaccine. 2008, 26: 1595-1607. 10.1016/j.vaccine.2008.01.011.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Betsch C, Brewer NT, Brocard P, Davies P, Gaissmaier W, Haase N, Leask J, Renkewitz F, Renner B, Reyna VF, Rossmann C, Sachse K, Schachinger A, Siegrist M, Stryk M: Opportunities and challenges of Web 2.0 for vaccination decisions. Vaccine. 2012, 30: 3727-3733. 10.1016/j.vaccine.2012.02.025.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Bean SJ: Emerging and continuing trends in vaccine opposition website content. Vaccine. 2011, 29: 1874-1880. 10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.01.003.CrossRefPubMed
15.
Jones AM, Omer SB, Bednarczyk RA, Halsey NA, Moulton LH, Salmon DA: Parents’ source of vaccine information and impact on vaccine attitudes, beliefs, and nonmedical exemptions. Adv Prev Med. 2012, 15: 932741-
16.
Stefanoff P, Mamelund SE, Robinson M, Netterlid E, Tuells J, Riise Bergsaker MA, Heijbel H, Yarwood J: Tracking parental attitudes on vaccination across European countries: the vaccine safety, attitudes, training and communication project (VACSATC). Vaccine. 2010, 28: 5731-5737. 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.06.009.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Kennedy A, Basket M, Sheedy K: Vaccine attitudes, concerns, and information sources reported by parents of young children: results from the 2009 health styles survey. Pediatrics. 2011, 127: 92-99. 10.1542/peds.2010-1722N.CrossRef
18.
Madden K, Nan X, Briones R, Waks L: Sorting through search results: a content analysis of HPV information online. I. 2012, 30: 3741-3746.
19.
Bults M, Beaujean DJMA, Richardus JH, Van Steenbergen JE, Voeten HACM: Pandemic influenza A (H1N1) vaccination in The Netherlands: parental reasoning underlying child vaccination choices. Vaccine. 2011, 29: 6226-6235. 10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.06.075.CrossRefPubMed
20.
21.
Kata A: Anti-vaccine activists, Web 2.0, and the postmodern paradigm an overview of tactics and tropes used online by the anti-vaccination movement. Vaccine. 2011, 30: 3778-3789.CrossRefPubMed
22.
Betsch C, Renkewitz F, Betsch T, Ulshöfer C: The influence of vaccine-critical websites on perceiving vaccination risks. J Health Psychol. 2010, 15: 446-455. 10.1177/1359105309353647.CrossRefPubMed
23.
Lehmann BA, Ruiter RA, Kok G: A qualitative study of the coverage of influenza vaccination on Dutch news sites and social media websites. BMC Public Health. 2013, 13: 547-10.1186/1471-2458-13-547.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
24.
Austvoll-Dahlgren A, Helseth A: What informs parents’ decision-making about childhood vaccinations?. J Adv Nurs. 2010, 66: 2421-2430. 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2010.05403.x.CrossRefPubMed
25.
Evans M, Stoddart H, Condon L, Freeman E, Grizell M, Mullen R: Parents’ perspectives on the MMR immunization: a focus group study. Br J Gen Pract. 2001, 51 (472): 904-910.PubMedPubMedCentral
26.
Hak E, Schönbeck Y, De Melker H, Van Essen GA, Sanders EAM: Negative attitude of highly educated parents and health care workers towards future vaccinations in the Dutch childhood vaccination program. Vaccine. 2005, 23: 3103-3107. 10.1016/j.vaccine.2005.01.074.CrossRefPubMed
27.
van Lier EAN, Oomen PJ, Conyn-van Spaenendonck MAE, Drijfhout IH, de Hoogh PAAM, de Melker HE: Vaccination coverage national immunisation programme Netherlands; year of report 2013 [in Dutch]. 2013, Bilthoven: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), RIVM rapport 150202001/2013
28.
Edwards P, Roberts I, Clarke M, DiGuiseppi C, Pratap S, Wentz R, Kwan I: Increasing response rates tot postal questionnaires: systematic review. BMJ. 2002, 324: 1-9. 10.1136/bmj.324.7328.1.
29.
Fishbein M, Ajzen I: Predicting and changing behavior: the reasoned action approach. 2010, Taylor and Francis Group: Psychological Press
30.
Ajzen I: The theory of planned behaviour. Organ Behav Hum Decis Process. 1991, 50: 179-211. 10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T.CrossRef
31.
Askelson NM, Campo S, Lowe JB, Smith S, Dennis LK, Andsager J: Using the theory of planned behavior to predict mothers ’ intentions to vaccinate their daughters. J Sch Nurs. 2010, 26: 194-202. 10.1177/1059840510366022.CrossRefPubMed
32.
Norman P, Armitage CJ, Quigley C: The theory of planned behavior and binge drinking: assessing the impact of binge drinker prototypes. Addict Behav. 2007, 32: 1753-1768. 10.1016/j.addbeh.2006.12.009.CrossRefPubMed
33.
Lemmens KPH, Abraham C, Hoekstra T, Ruiter RAC, De Kort WLAM, Brug J, Schaalma HP: Why don’t young people volunteer to give blood? An investigation of the correlates of donation intentions among young nondonors. Transfusion. 2005, 45: 945-955. 10.1111/j.1537-2995.2005.04379.x.CrossRefPubMed
34.
Clarke CE, McComas K: Seeking and processing influenza vaccine information: a study of health care workers at a large urban hospital. Health Commun. 2012, 27: 244-256. 10.1080/10410236.2011.578332.CrossRefPubMed
35.
Griffin RJ, Neuwirth K, Dunwoody S, Giese J: Information sufficiency and risk communication. Media Psychol. 2004, 6: 23-61. 10.1207/s1532785xmep0601_2.CrossRef
36.
Griffin RJ, Yang Z, ter Huurne E, Boerner F, Ortiz S, Dunwoody S: After the flood: anger, attribution, and the seeking of information. Sci Commun. 2008, 29: 285-315. 10.1177/1075547007312309.CrossRef
37.
Kahlor L: An augmented risk information seeking model: the case of global warming. Media Psychol. 2007, 10: 414-435. 10.1080/15213260701532971.CrossRef
38.
van Lier A, Oomen P, de Hoogh P, Drijfhout I, Elsinghorst B, Kemmeren J, Conyn-van Spaenendonck M, de Melker H: Praeventis, the immunisation register of the Netherlands: a tool to evaluate the national immunisation programme. Euro Surveill. 2012, 17: 20153-PubMed
39.
40.
41.
Freed GL, Clark SJ, Butchart AT, Singer DC, Davis MW: Sources and perceived credibility of vaccine-safety information for parents. Pediatrics. 2011, 127: 107-112. 10.1542/peds.2010-1722P.CrossRef
42.
Smith PJ, Kennedy AM, Wooten K, Gust DA, Pickering LK: Association between health care providers’ influence on parents who have concerns about vaccine safety and vaccination coverage. Pediatrics. 2006, 118: 1287-1292.CrossRef
43.
Gust D, Weber D, Weintraub E, Kennedy A, Soud F, Burns A: Physicians who do and do not recommend children get all vaccinations. J Health Commun. 2008, 13: 573-582. 10.1080/10810730802281726.CrossRefPubMed
44.
Godin G, Kok G: The theory of planned behavior: a review of its applications to health-related behaviors. Am J Health Promot. 1996, 11: 87-98. 10.4278/0890-1171-11.2.87.CrossRefPubMed
45.
Griffin RJ, Dunwoody S, Neuwirth K: Proposed model of the relationship of risk information seeking and processing to the development of preventive behaviors. Environ Res. 1999, 80: 230-245. 10.1006/enrs.1998.3940.CrossRef
46.
Boot CRL, Meijman FJ: The public and the internet: multifaceted drives for seeking health information. Health Informatics J. 2010, 16: 145-156. 10.1177/1460458210364786.CrossRefPubMed
47.
Kata A: A postmodern Pandora’s box: anti-vaccination misinformation on the internet. Vaccine. 2010, 28: 1709-1716. 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.12.022.CrossRefPubMed
48.
Wolfe RM, Sharp LK: Vaccination or immunization? The impact of search terms on the Internet. J Health Commun. 2005, 10: 537-551. 10.1080/10810730500228847.CrossRefPubMed
49.
Göritz AS, Crutzen R: Reminders in web-based data collection: increasing response at the price of retention?. Am J Eval. 2012, 33: 240-250. 10.1177/1098214011421956.CrossRef
50.
CBS statistics Netherlands: Mobile internet use continues to grow. Press Release. 2012, PB12-060-
Metadata
Title
Parental information-seeking behaviour in childhood vaccinations
Authors
Irene A Harmsen
Gemma G Doorman
Liesbeth Mollema
Robert AC Ruiter
Gerjo Kok
Hester E de Melker
Publication date
01-12-2013
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2013
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-1219

Other articles of this Issue 1/2013

BMC Public Health 1/2013 Go to the issue

Research article

Smoking cessation among diabetes patients: results of a pilot randomized controlled trial in Kerala, India

Research article

From childhood socio-economic position to adult educational level – do health behaviours in adolescence matter? A longitudinal study

Research article

Heme iron intake and risk of new-onset diabetes in a Mediterranean population at high risk of cardiovascular disease: an observational cohort analysis

Research article

Serum γ-glutamyltransferase and uric acid levels are associated with impaired fasting glucose in adults from Inner Mongolia, China

Study protocol

Cost-effectiveness of Multisystemic Therapy for adolescents with antisocial behaviour: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial

Research article

Epidemiology and awareness of hypertension in a rural Ugandan community: a cross-sectional study