Evaluating parents’ perceptions of infectious diseases and their levels of protection in terms of vaccination attitudes and vaccine hesitancy
5 affiliations
- 1Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Public Health Nursing, Kafkas University, Kars, Türkiye
- 2Yalova Training and Research Hospital, Infection Control Nurse, Yalova, Türkiye
- 3Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Midwifery, Kafkas University, Kars, Türkiye
- 4Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Women’s Health Nursing, Kafkas University, Kars, Türkiye
- 5Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Public Health Nursing, Sakarya University, Sakarya, Türkiye
Abstract
Background: This research was conducted to evaluate parents’ perceptions of infectious diseases and their levels of protection in terms of vaccination attitudes and vaccine hesitancy.
Methods: The research is descriptive and relational was conducted online with 560 parents of children aged 0–5 years between March 8 and November 8, 2024. Convenience sampling method was used in the study. For data collection, a questionnaire form including personal information form, Perception Scale on Communicable Diseases (PSCD), Parental Attitudes Towards Childhood Vaccines Scale (PACVS), and Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS) in parents of children under five years of age was used. The evaluation of data was performed via SPSS V-27.0 package program.
Results: A total of 560 parents took part in this study, and the participants scored an average of 148.81 ± 18.53 points on the PSCD total, 53.42 ± 8.91 points on the Vaccine Attitude Scale total, and 24.89 ± 8.49 points on the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale total. PSCD explains 13.4% of the total PACVS score. A low-level statistically significant correlation was found between the total PSCD and VHS scores.
Conclusion: Parents’ communicative disease perception and their protection levels affect their vaccination attitudes and vaccine hesitancy. Sociodemographic characteristics, vaccine knowledge and the sources from which they obtain information have both positive and negative relationships on vaccine attitude and vaccine hesitancy. In order to prevent the increasing vaccine refusal in the society, it is recommended that health professionals inform parents through individualized trainings on immunization.
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BibTeX
@article{gokcay2026evaluating,
title = {{Evaluating parents’ perceptions of infectious diseases and their levels of protection in terms of vaccination attitudes and vaccine hesitancy}},
author = {Gönül Gökçay and Hulya Incirkuş Küçük and Nazlı Akar Sezer and Cansu Mine Aydin and Özlem Karabulutlu and Ayşe Çevirme},
journal = {BMC Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12889-026-28664-8},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-28664-8},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Evaluating parents’ perceptions of infectious diseases and their levels of protection in terms of vaccination attitudes and vaccine hesitancy
AU - Gönül Gökçay
AU - Hulya Incirkuş Küçük
AU - Nazlı Akar Sezer
AU - Cansu Mine Aydin
AU - Özlem Karabulutlu
AU - Ayşe Çevirme
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/05
JO - BMC Public Health
DO - 10.1186/s12889-026-28664-8
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-28664-8
AB - Background: This research was conducted to evaluate parents’ perceptions of infectious diseases and their levels of protection in terms of vaccination attitudes and vaccine hesitancy. Methods: The research is descriptive and relational was conducted online with 560 parents of children aged 0–5 years between March 8 and November 8, 2024. Convenience sampling method was used in the study. For data collection, a questionnaire form including personal information form, Perception Scale on Communicable Diseases (PSCD), Parental Attitudes Towards Childhood Vaccines Scale (PACVS), and Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS) in parents of children under five years of age was used. The evaluation of data was performed via SPSS V-27.0 package program. Results: A total of 560 parents took part in this study, and the participants scored an average of 148.81 ± 18.53 points on the PSCD total, 53.42 ± 8.91 points on the Vaccine Attitude Scale total, and 24.89 ± 8.49 points on the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale total. PSCD explains 13.4% of the total PACVS score. A low-level statistically significant correlation was found between the total PSCD and VHS scores. Conclusion: Parents’ communicative disease perception and their protection levels affect their vaccination attitudes and vaccine hesitancy. Sociodemographic characteristics, vaccine knowledge and the sources from which they obtain information have both positive and negative relationships on vaccine attitude and vaccine hesitancy. In order to prevent the increasing vaccine refusal in the society, it is recommended that health professionals inform parents through individualized trainings on immunization.
SN - 1471-2458
ER -