Vaccination Status in Children under 8 Years and Attitudes of Their Parents

Type Journal Article - Turkish Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care
Title Vaccination Status in Children under 8 Years and Attitudes of Their Parents
Author(s)
Volume 8
Issue 3
Publication (Day/Month/Year)
Page numbers 68-74
URL http://www.cukurovaaile.org/tjfmpc/2014_3/1_29-1394655179_TYP_1.pdf
Abstract
Background: Vaccination plays a key role in preventive medicine worldwide. Turkey has adapted an advanced
national extended vaccination program (NEVP) in recent years. Accordingly, vaccination coverage rose
dramatically in recent years. Attitudes of Parents are playing an inevitable role in the challenges toward
vaccination issues. Aim: This study aims to determine the demographic traits, vaccination status, and attitudes
of their parents regarding vaccination approaches. Design of Study: This study is designed as a cross-sectional
observational survey Setting: The study was carried out at the pediatrics outpatient clinic of the Baskent
University Ankara Hospital Methods: Parents with children aged 0-8 were asked between March – June 2013 to
join the study voluntarily. 150 parents answered to a 12-item questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS
software. For descriptive statistics mean±SD, minimum-maximum levels and percentages were used;
continuous variables were analyzed using t- test and categorical variables using Chi-square tests. P values <
0.05 were accepted as statistically significant. Results: In total 219 children of 150 families were enrolled. Mean
age of the children was 2.73 years and all of them were fully vaccinated. Most were living in the city center
(76.7%). Of the parents, 10.7% were against paid vaccines, while 2% couldn’t afford them. 42% of families were
positive about the HPV vaccine. Most of the families preferred their family physicians both in urban and rural
areas for vaccination (61.7%, 68.6% respectively). Conclusion: The initiation of Family medicine in Turkey and
the application of the NEVP have positively affected parents’ approaches towards vaccination.

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