Focus groups among public, military, and private sector mothers: insights to improve the immunization process

Intención de vacunarse contra COVID-19 en la población de 40 años en adelante en México

Objetivo Evaluar el efecto de las fuentes de información sobre COVID-19, los beneficios y las barreras percibidas de la vacunación, y la actitud hacia la vacunación sobre la intención de vacunarse contra COVID-19 en la población de 40 años en adelante en México. Métodos Se desarrolló una investigación cuantitativa, transversal y explicativa. Se aplicó una encuesta electrónica a 703 personas de 40 años en adelante que residen en México. El análisis de resultados se realizó a través de la técnica de ecuaciones estructurales por medio del método de mínimos cuadrados parciales. Resultados Las fuentes de información sobre COVID-19 influyen positivamente sobre los beneficios percibidos de la vacuna y disminuyen las barreras percibidas. Además, los beneficios percibidos influyen positivamente sobre la actitud hacia la vacunación de COVID-19; sin embargo, las barreras no afectan la actitud. Adicionalmente, esta última influye en la intención a vacunarse contra COVID-19 e indirectamente las fuentes de información y los beneficios percibidos influyen sobre la intención a vacunarse mediados por la actitud.  

Factors that influence parents' and informal caregivers' views and practices regarding routine childhood vaccination: a qualitative evidence synthesis

BACKGROUND

Childhood vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent serious illnesses and deaths in children. However, worldwide, many children do not receive all recommended vaccinations, for several potential reasons. Vaccines might be unavailable, or parents may experience difficulties in accessing vaccination services; for instance, because of poor quality health services, distance from a health facility, or lack of money. Some parents may not accept available vaccines and vaccination services. Our understanding of what influences parents' views and practices around childhood vaccination, and why some parents may not accept vaccines for their children, is still limited. This synthesis links to Cochrane Reviews of the effectiveness of interventions to improve coverage or uptake of childhood vaccination.

OBJECTIVES

- Explore parents' and informal caregivers' views and practices regarding routine childhood vaccination, and the factors influencing acceptance, hesitancy, or nonacceptance of routine childhood vaccination. - Develop a conceptual understanding of what and how different factors reduce parental acceptance of routine childhood vaccination. - Explore how the findings of this review can enhance our understanding of the related Cochrane Reviews of intervention effectiveness.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and three other databases for eligible studies from 1974 to June 2020.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included studies that: utilised qualitative methods for data collection and analysis; focused on parents' or caregivers' views, practices, acceptance, hesitancy, or refusal of routine vaccination for children aged up to six years; and were from any setting globally where childhood vaccination is provided.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used a pre-specified sampling frame to sample from eligible studies, aiming to capture studies that were conceptually rich, relevant to the review's phenomenon of interest, from diverse geographical settings, and from a range of income-level settings. We extracted contextual and methodological data from each sampled study. We used a meta-ethnographic approach to analyse and synthesise the evidence. We assessed methodological limitations using a list of criteria used in previous Cochrane Reviews and originally based on the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme quality assessment tool for qualitative studies. We used the GRADE-CERQual (Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research) approach to assess our confidence in each finding. We integrated the findings of this review with those from relevant Cochrane Reviews of intervention effectiveness. We did this by mapping whether the underlying theories or components of trial interventions included in those reviews related to or targeted the overarching factors influencing parental views and practices regarding routine childhood vaccination identified by this review.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 145 studies in the review and sampled 27 of these for our analysis. Six studies were conducted in Africa, seven in the Americas, four in South-East Asia, nine in Europe, and one in the Western Pacific. Studies included urban and rural settings, and high-, middle-, and low-income settings. Many complex factors were found to influence parents' vaccination views and practices, which we divided into four themes. Firstly, parents' vaccination ideas and practices may be influenced by their broader ideas and practices surrounding health and illness generally, and specifically with regards to their children, and their perceptions of the role of vaccination within this context. Secondly, many parents' vaccination ideas and practices were influenced by the vaccination ideas and practices of the people they mix with socially. At the same time, shared vaccination ideas and practices helped some parents establish social relationships, which in turn strengthened their views and practices around vaccination. Thirdly, parents' vaccination ideas and practices may be influenced by wider political issues and concerns, and particularly their trust (or distrust) in those associated with vaccination programmes. Finally, parents' vaccination ideas and practices may be influenced by their access to and experiences of vaccination services and their frontline healthcare workers. We developed two concepts for understanding possible pathways to reduced acceptance of childhood vaccination. The first concept, 'neoliberal logic', suggests that many parents, particularly from high-income countries, understood health and healthcare decisions as matters of individual risk, choice, and responsibility. Some parents experienced this understanding as in conflict with vaccination programmes, which emphasise generalised risk and population health. This perceived conflict led some parents to be less accepting of vaccination for their children. The second concept, 'social exclusion', suggests that some parents, particularly from low- and middle-income countries, were less accepting of childhood vaccination due to their experiences of social exclusion. Social exclusion may damage trustful relationships between government and the public, generate feelings of isolation and resentment, and give rise to demotivation in the face of public services that are poor quality and difficult to access. These factors in turn led some parents who were socially excluded to distrust vaccination, to refuse vaccination as a form of resistance or a way to bring about change, or to avoid vaccination due to the time, costs, and distress it creates. Many of the overarching factors our review identified as influencing parents' vaccination views and practices were underrepresented in the interventions tested in the four related Cochrane Reviews of intervention effectiveness.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Our review has revealed that parents' views and practices regarding childhood vaccination are complex and dynamic social processes that reflect multiple webs of influence, meaning, and logic. We have provided a theorised understanding of the social processes contributing to vaccination acceptance (or not), thereby complementing but also extending more individualistic models of vaccination acceptance. Successful development of interventions to promote acceptance and uptake of childhood vaccination will require an understanding of, and then tailoring to, the specific factors influencing vaccination views and practices of the group(s) in the target setting. The themes and concepts developed through our review could serve as a basis for gaining this understanding, and subsequent development of interventions that are potentially more aligned with the norms, expectations, and concerns of target users.

Optimal Design of Population-Level Financial Incentives of Influenza Vaccination for the Elderly

OBJECTIVES

To identify how monetary incentives affect influenza vaccination uptake rate using a randomized control experiment and to subsequently design an optimal incentive program in Singapore, a high-income country with a market-based healthcare system.

METHODS

4000 people aged ≥65 were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups (1000 each) and were offered a monetary incentive (in shopping vouchers) if they chose to participate. The baseline group was invited to complete a questionnaire with incentives of 10 Singapore dollars (SGD; where 1 SGD ≈ 0.73 USD), whereas the other three groups were invited to complete the questionnaire and be vaccinated against influenza at their own cost of around 32 SGD, in return for incentives of 10, 20, or 30 SGD.

RESULTS

Increasing the total incentive for vaccination and reporting from 10 to 20 SGD increased participation in vaccination from 4.5% to 7.5% (P < .001). Increasing the total incentive from 20 to 30 SGD increased the participation rate to 9.2%, but this was not statistically significantly different from a 20-SGD incentive. The group of nonworking elderly were more sensitive to changes in incentives than those who worked. In addition to working status, the effects of increasing incentives on influenza vaccination rates differed by ethnicity, socio-economic status, household size, and a measure of social resilience. There were no significant differential effects by age group, gender, or education, however. The cost of the program per completed vaccination under a 20-SGD incentive is 36.80 SGD, which was the lowest among the three intervention arms. For a hypothetical population-level financial incentive program to promote influenza vaccination among the elderly, accounting for transmission dynamics, an incentive between 10 and 20 SGD minimizes the cost per completed vaccination from both governmental and health system perspectives.

CONCLUSIONS

Appropriate monetary incentives can boost influenza vaccination rates. Increasing monetary incentives for vaccination from 10 to 20 SGD can improve the influenza vaccination uptake rate, but further increasing the monetary incentive to 30 SGD results in no additional gains. A partial incentive may therefore be considered to improve vaccination coverage in this high-risk group.

Parents' and informal caregivers' views and experiences of communication about routine childhood vaccination: a synthesis of qualitative evidence

BACKGROUND

Childhood vaccination is an effective way to prevent serious childhood illnesses, but many children do not receive all the recommended vaccines. There are various reasons for this; some parents lack access because of poor quality health services, long distances or lack of money. Other parents may not trust vaccines or the healthcare workers who provide them, or they may not see the need for vaccination due to a lack of information or misinformation about how vaccinations work and the diseases they can prevent.Communication with parents about childhood vaccinations is one way of addressing these issues. Communication can take place at healthcare facilities, at home or in the community. Communication can be two-way, for example face-to-face discussions between parents and healthcare providers, or one-way, for instance via text messages, posters or radio programmes. Some types of communication enable parents to actively discuss vaccines and their benefits and harms, as well as diseases they can prevent. Other communication types simply give information about vaccination issues or when and where vaccines are available. People involved in vaccine programmes need to understand how parents experience different types of communication about vaccination and how this influences their decision to vaccinate.

OBJECTIVES

The specific objectives of the review were to identify, appraise and synthesise qualitative studies exploring: parents' and informal caregivers' views and experiences regarding communication about childhood vaccinations and the manner in which it is communicated; and the influence that vaccination communication has on parents' and informal caregivers' decisions regarding childhood vaccination.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched MEDLINE (OvidSP), MEDLINE In-process and Other Non-Index Citations (Ovid SP), Embase (Ovid), CINAHL (EbscoHOST), and Anthropology Plus (EbscoHost) databases for eligible studies from inception to 30 August 2016. We developed search strategies for each database, using guidelines developed by the Cochrane Qualitative Research Methods Group for searching for qualitative evidence as well as modified versions of the search developed for three related reviews of effectiveness. There were no date or geographic restrictions for the search.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included studies that utilised qualitative methods for data collection and analysis; focused on the views and experiences of parents and informal caregivers regarding information about vaccination for children aged up to six years; and were from any setting globally where information about childhood vaccinations was communicated or distributed.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used maximum variation purposive sampling for data synthesis, using a three-step sampling frame. We conducted a thematic analysis using a constant comparison strategy for data extraction and synthesis. We assessed our confidence in the findings using the GRADE-CERQual approach. High confidence suggests that it is highly likely that the review finding is a reasonable representation of the phenomenon of interest, while very low confidence indicates that it is not clear whether the review finding is a reasonable representation of it. Using a matrix model, we then integrated our findings with those from other Cochrane reviews that assessed the effects of different communication strategies on parents' knowledge, attitudes and behaviour about childhood vaccination.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 38 studies, mostly from high-income countries, many of which explored mothers' perceptions of vaccine communication. Some focused on the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine.In general, parents wanted more information than they were getting (high confidence in the evidence). Lack of information led to worry and regret about vaccination decisions among some parents (moderate confidence).Parents wanted balanced information about vaccination benefits and harms (high confidence), presented clearly and simply (moderate confidence) and tailored to their situation (low confidence in the evidence). Parents wanted vaccination information to be available at a wider variety of locations, including outside health services (low confidence) and in good time before each vaccination appointment (moderate confidence).Parents viewed health workers as an important source of information and had specific expectations of their interactions with them (high confidence). Poor communication and negative relationships with health workers sometimes impacted on vaccination decisions (moderate confidence).Parents generally found it difficult to know which vaccination information source to trust and challenging to find information they felt was unbiased and balanced (high confidence).The amount of information parents wanted and the sources they felt could be trusted appeared to be linked to acceptance of vaccination, with parents who were more hesitant wanting more information (low to moderate confidence).Our synthesis and comparison of the qualitative evidence shows that most of the trial interventions addressed at least one or two key aspects of communication, including the provision of information prior to the vaccination appointment and tailoring information to parents' needs. None of the interventions appeared to respond to negative media stories or address parental perceptions of health worker motives.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We have high or moderate confidence in the evidence contributing to several review findings. Further research, especially in rural and low- to middle-income country settings, could strengthen evidence for the findings where we had low or very low confidence. Planners should consider the timing for making vaccination information available to parents, the settings where information is available, the provision of impartial and clear information tailored to parental needs, and parents' perceptions of health workers and the information provided.

Failure to return: parental, practice, and social factors affecting missed immunization visits for urban children

OBJECTIVE

To assess parental, practice, and social factors associated with missed immunization visits by young, urban children.

STUDY DESIGN

Parents of children ≤ 36 months(n = 705) were surveyed. The primary outcome was missed immunization visit, by parental report. Key parent, practice, and social factors were assessed using hierarchical logistical regression. Results. Families were predominantly Latino and publicly insured. Parents who rescheduled (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.27; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.76-6.09) or had problems scheduling appointments (AOR = 4.00; 95% CI = 1.49-10.75) were more likely to miss an immunization visit, as were those with vaccine safety fears (AOR = 3.76; 95% CI = 1.23-11.5) or more limited communication with their provider (AOR = 2.38; 95% CI = 1.05-5.36). Having friends and families with positive immunization views was protective (AOR = 0.030; 95% CI = 0.002-0.41).

CONCLUSION

This study highlights factors that may help urban families keep immunization visits: open communication with providers, flexibility in scheduling appointments, and individual and community education.

Maternal knowledge and attitudes toward influenza vaccination: a focus group study in metropolitan Atlanta

OBJECTIVE

To explore the knowledge and attitudes of mothers of school-aged children toward influenza vaccination and assess what methods of communication about vaccination and its delivery work best among this audience.

METHODS

The authors conducted focus groups with mothers of school-aged children. Prior to the focus groups, investigators agreed on key themes and discussion points. They independently reviewed transcripts using systematic content analysis and came to an agreement on outcome themes.

RESULTS

Many study participants had misunderstandings about influenza vaccines and the definition of influenza. A common perception was that flu is a catch-all term for a variety of undefined illnesses, ranging from a severe cold to stomach upset. Few participants saw a societal benefit in vaccinating children to protect other populations (eg, the elderly).

CONCLUSIONS

This study represents a first step in understanding how mothers perceive influenza vaccination and for crafting effective communication to increase vaccination among school-aged children.

Can I risk using public services? Perceived consequences of seeking help and health care among households living in poverty: qualitative study

OBJECTIVES

To improve understanding of how families living in adverse conditions perceive their encounters with public services and how past experiences influence current and future attempts to seek help.

DESIGN

Qualitative interviews with adult members of households living in poverty in deprived areas, plus observations conducted in the surrounding neighbourhoods and service settings.

PARTICIPANTS

Purposive sample of 25 adults living in a deprived area, on welfare benefits.

SETTING

Eight sites in disadvantaged areas in Merseyside, North Wales, London and Greater Manchester in 2004/05.

RESULTS

Participants generally perceived public services as a source of distrust and a potential risk to well-being. Encounters with a range of services were perceived as risky in terms of losing resources, being misunderstood or harshly judged, and carrying the ultimate threat of losing custody of their children. Participants perceived that they were subjected to increasing levels of surveillance, with fear of "being told on" by neighbours, in addition to service providers, adding to anxiety. Adverse consequences included avoiding child health and social services, anxiety and self-imposed isolation.

CONCLUSIONS

Approaching services was perceived as akin to taking a gamble that might or might not result in their needs being met. Faced with this "choice", participants employed strategies to minimise the risks that on the surface may appear risky to health. If public services are to succeed in providing support to disadvantaged families, greater efforts are needed to build trust and demonstrate understanding for the strategies these families use to maintain their well-being against formidable odds.

Barriers to immunizations: Multiethnic parents of under- and unimmunized children speak

PURPOSE

Childhood immunizations are one of the greatest pubic health success stories. Despite the fact that many children receive immunizations according to the recommended schedule, there are many that lag behind. The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers to immunizations in parents whose children are not fully immunized by age 2.

DATA SOURCE

Thirteen focus groups, on four different islands (Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Hawaii) were held with a total of 64 parents. Verbatim transcripts were utilized for content analysis.

CONCLUSION

Five core themes emerged as barriers to childhood immunizations, parental, transportation, financial, child, and organization. The majority of responses were in the parental core theme, which included the sub-themes of issues, beliefs, knowledge, and fears.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Recommendations included identification of specific barriers to target immunization interventions strategies, public policy changes, identification and case management of high risk families, and minimization of organizational barriers.

Systematically reviewing qualitative studies complements survey design: an exploratory study of barriers to paediatric immunisations

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Designing survey questions requires content expertise, awareness of previous qualitative literature, and piloting. We examined surveys addressing parental barriers to vaccinating children to determine if they comprehensively included themes identified in published qualitative studies.

METHODS

We performed a systematic literature search of 12 electronic databases and compared questions asked in eligible surveys identified to issues raised in qualitative studies. Issues included nine themes related to harm, six related to distrust, eight to issues of access, and three other issues.

RESULTS

The 29 eligible surveys failed to adequately address several important themes identified in qualitative studies. The number that failed to address the following themes were as follows: beliefs that vaccines cause diseases (n = 26); painful (n = 25); distrust of medical community (n = 28); communication problems with staff (n = 25); memories of their own or others adverse experiences (n = 28); fear of long-term effects (n = 26); belief the medical community does not understand adverse events associated with vaccines (n = 28); and parent's own lack of knowledge about diseases (n = 29).

CONCLUSIONS

Many surveys of parental barriers to immunization failed to address a number of important themes identified in qualitative studies. To the extent this is true in other areas, ensuring that investigators have conducted an adequate number and variety of qualitative studies, and systematically reviewing those studies, will improve surveys' content validity.

Systematic review of qualitative studies exploring parental beliefs and attitudes toward childhood vaccination identifies common barriers to vaccination

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether a systematic review of qualitative studies can lead to identification of consistent themes across studies, using barriers toward childhood vaccination as an example.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

We performed a systematic literature search of studies identified in 10 electronic databases. Two independent reviewers selected the relevant abstracts and articles, then extracted information. Content analysis methodology was used to create a coding template for barriers and then to identify how many studies identified specific barriers.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies were included in this overview. Eight studies used semistructured interviews, five used focus groups, and two used both methodologies. Themes fell under four major headings: issues of harm, issues of distrust, access issues, and other issues. Barriers identified in more than half of the studies included concern about the risk of adverse effects, concern that vaccinations are painful, distrust of by those advocating vaccines (including belief in conspiracy), belief that vaccination should not occur when the child has a minor illness, unpleasant staff or poor communication, and lack of awareness of the vaccination schedule.

CONCLUSION

Systematically reviewing qualitative studies on barriers to childhood vaccination provided important information on barriers that are consistently identified by parents in several different studies.

Exploring childhood immunization uptake with First Nations mothers in north-western Ontario, Canada

BACKGROUND

Childhood immunization is an important component of preventive health care for young children. Successful control of vaccine-preventable diseases depends on high levels of immunization coverage. Immunization statistics show that on-reserve First Nations (Native Indian) children have lower vaccination coverage than children in the general Canadian population. There has been little research, however, conducted with First Nations populations on this topic.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study explored First Nations parents' beliefs about childhood immunizations and examined factors influencing immunization uptake.

METHODS

This study used a qualitative descriptive design to explore the issue of childhood immunization uptake. Twenty-eight mothers from two First Nations communities in north-western Ontario, Canada, were interviewed about their perceptions of childhood immunizations and vaccine-preventable diseases. The interviews were transcribed and content analysis was used to examine the data.

FINDINGS

Data analysis revealed the following six themes: (1) the fear of disease; (2) the efficacy of immunizations; (3) the immunization experience; (4) the consequences of immunization; (5) interactions with health professionals; and (6) barriers to immunizations. Participants were motivated to seek immunizations for their children by a fear of vaccine preventable diseases. A small proportion of mothers, however, questioned the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing disease. Traumatic immunization experiences, vaccine side-effects and sequelae, negative interactions with health professionals, and barriers such as time constraints and childhood illnesses all served as deterrents to immunization.

CONCLUSIONS

The research outcomes highlight the varied beliefs of First Nations parents about childhood immunizations and the numerous factors that both positively and negatively influence immunization uptake. Further research is needed to explore the issue of childhood immunizations in First Nations communities and to determine strategies to improve uptake.

Insights on immunizations from caregivers of children receiving Medicaid-funded services

ISSUES AND PURPOSE

Despite numerous programs aimed at improving immunization rates among American children, under-immunization remains a significant problem. This study was conducted to gain insight into parents'/guardians' knowledge and attitudes regarding childhood immunizations.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Thirteen African-American mothers and grandmothers participated in semistructured, audiotaped focus-group interviews.

RESULTS

Four major themes emerged: health knowledge and beliefs about immunizations, system barriers that impede obtaining immunizations, facilitators that enhance obtaining immunizations, and suggestions for change.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Immunizations are one of the most important health advantages available to children. Therefore, nurses must become aware of the problem of underimmunization and work to address some of the concerns caregivers have identified in this study. The health and lives of the nation's children depend on it.

Factors influencing the immunization status of children in a rural setting

INTRODUCTION

The purposes of this study were to (a) assess parental perceptions of their decision making regarding children's vaccinations and (b) describe parents' evaluation of immunization services provided by rural clinics/offices.

METHODS

A qualitative design was used in this study, which was conducted in rural Missouri. Twelve mothers of children younger than age 3 years with fewer than the recommended number of immunizations were interviewed using a semi-structured format. The interview results were analyzed using the constant comparative method.

RESULTS

The following parental perceptions were identified as factors related to immunizations in this rural setting: knowledge of communicable diseases and vaccines, misperceptions about communicable diseases and vaccines, past experiences, competing tasks, transportation, health care personnel, need for reminders, health system, and cost.

DISCUSSION

Two findings unique to this study were the importance of relationships with health care providers and the challenge of competing tasks. These findings, combined with the other factors identified, reinforced the importance of rural health care providers' maintaining a strong relationship with clients, providing accurate and timely information, and ensuring a readily accessible health care system.

Pediatric vaccine compliance

Immunization programs have produced a significant trend toward reducing the occurrence of disease in the United States. The resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases, however, is a reminder that many goals have not yet been achieved. The methods discussed in this article may be useful in delivering vaccines to the pediatric population.

Barriers to seeking care following school vision screening in Rochester, Minnesota

School vision screening provides an effective way to identify children who require vision therapy, usually glasses. To benefit from screening, children with abnormal screening test results must receive follow-up eye care, but care may be delayed for months or years. This project used community focus groups in Rochester, Minn., to identify barriers that may delay seeking professional care following school vision screening. Major barriers identified included lack of community awareness about the frequency and potential effect of refractive errors in children, a parental perception of inadequate communication between schools and the parents and community, high cost of corrective lenses, limited availability of convenient eye care appointments, and adolescents reluctance to wear glasses. Program planners developed a community action plan to address the perceived barriers.

CINCH: an urban coalition for empowerment and action. Consortium for the Immunization of Norfolk's Children

CINCH (Consortium for the Immunization of Norfolk's Children) is an urban coalition that was developed in 1993 to improve childhood immunization rates in Norfolk, Virginia. CINCH involves diverse citizens and institutions in effective community-based assessment, planning, and action. A needs assessment from 1993 found that only 49% of Norfolk 2-year-olds were adequately immunized. Using this data, CINCH developed a plan focused on education and communication, support for at-risk families, increased access to immunizations, and improved immunization delivery. After federal funding ended in 1995, members voted to expand the scope of the coalition to address additional child health needs and to broaden the membership. CINCH is a model for a sustainable city-citizen learning environment that intervenes to "help families help themselves to better health." The coalition is presented as an organization that focuses on community empowerment and development. The stages of coalition development and implications for coalition implementation in other sites are discussed.