Parental risk perception and influenza vaccination of children in daycare centres

Epidemiol Infect. 2014 Jan;142(1):134-41. doi: 10.1017/S0950268813000782. Epub 2013 Apr 18.

Abstract

Little information is available about perceptions of influenza vaccination of parents with healthy children in daycare. Therefore, we systematically explored the relationship between parental risk perception and influenza vaccination in children attending daycare. We distributed a self-administered paper survey to parents of children aged 6-59 months attending licensed daycare centres in Tarrant County, Texas. We used conditional logistic regression with penalized conditional likelihood to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% profile likelihood confidence limits (PL) for parental risk-perception factors and influenza vaccination. A high level of parental prevention behaviours (OR 9.1, 95% PL 3.2, 31) and physician recommendation (OR 8.2, 95% PL 2.7, 30) had the highest magnitudes of association with influenza vaccination of healthy children in daycare. Our results provide evidence about critical determinants of influenza vaccination of healthy children in daycare, which could help inform public health interventions aimed at increasing influenza vaccination coverage in this population.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Child Day Care Centers / statistics & numerical data*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Influenza Vaccines / administration & dosage*
  • Influenza, Human / prevention & control
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Odds Ratio
  • Parents / psychology*
  • Patient Acceptance of Health Care / psychology*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Texas / epidemiology
  • Vaccination / psychology*
  • Vaccination / statistics & numerical data*

Substances

  • Influenza Vaccines