Factors associated with pediatric vaccine hesitancy of parents: a cross-sectional study in Turkey

Figures & data

Table 1. The relationship between descriptive statistics of parents and vaccine hesitancy (n = 370)

Variables	Total	Non-hesitant (n = 319)		Hesitant (n = 51)
Age of parents	n(%)	n	%	n	%	OR	95% CI	P
<30	159(51.1)	131	82.4	28	17.6	1 ^a
30≥	181(48.9)	188	89.1	23	10.9	0.57	0.31–1.03	0.064
Parents
Mother	344(93.0)	294	85.5	50	14.5	1 ^a
Father	26(7.0)	25	96.2	1	3.8	0.23	0.03–1.77	0.231
Age of the child
0–24 months	217(58.6)	190	87.6	27	12.4	1 ^a
25–59 months	153(41.4)	129	84.3	24	15.7	1.30	0.72–2.37	0.373
Gender of the child
Female	165(44.6)	143	86.7	22	13.3	1 ^a
Male	205(55.4)	176	85.9	29	14.1	1.06	0.63–1.77	0.82
Mother’s education
Primary School	45 (12.2)	43	95.6	2	4.4	1 ^a
High School	80 (21.6)	67	83.8	13	16.2	4.13	0.99–28.2	0.051
University	159(43.0)	130	81.8	29	18.2	4.77	1.26–30.79	0.022
Graduate school	86 (23.2)	79	91.9	7	8.1	1.89	0.40–13.83	0.420
Monthly income
≤349 $	153(41.4)	130	85.0	23	15.0	1 ^a
350 $ >	217(58.6)	189	87.1	28	12.9	0.83	0.42–1.51	0.55
Father’s education
Primary	41 (11.1)	37	90.2	4	9.8	1 ^a
High School	116(31.4)	97	83.6	19	16.4	1.80	0.60–6.55	0.304
University	127 (34.3)	110	86.6	17	13.4	1.42	0.47–5.21	0.541
Graduate school	86 (23.2)	75	87.2	11	12.8	1.35	0.41–5.21	0.620

^aReference category

Table 2. The relationship between maternal obstetric and vaccine characteristics with vaccine hesitancy (n = 370)

Variables		Total	Non-hesitant (n = 319)		Hesitant (n = 51)		OR	95% CI	p
		n(%)	n	%	n	%
The number of pregnancy
1–2		302(81.6)	258	85.4	44	14.6	1 ^a
3+		68(18.4)	61	89.7	7	10.3	0.67	0.28–1.56	.356
The number of birth
1–2		332(89.7)	284	85.5	48	14.5	1 ^a
3+		38(10.3)	35	92.1	3	7.9	0.50	0.15–1.71	.266
Getting pregnant with treatment
No		341(92.2)	298	87.4	43	12.6	1 ^a
Yes		29(7.8)	21	72.4	8	27.6	2.18	1.13–4.20	.025**
Planned pregnancy
Yes		296(80.0)	255	86.1	41	13.9	1^a
No		74(20.0)	64	86.5	10	13.5	0.97	0.46–2.04	.94
Training about childhood vaccinations during pregnancy (n = 340)*
Yes	174(51.1)		157	90.2	17	9.8	1^a
No	166(48.9)		136	81.9	30	18.1	2.03	1.07–3.85	.027
Mode of delivery
Vaginal Birth	123(33.2)		109	88.6	14	11.4	1^a
C-section Birth	247(66.8)		210	85.0	37	15.0	1.37	0.71–2.64	.344
The place where the birth took place
Public hospital	121 (32.7)		98	30.7	23	19.0	1^a
Private hospital	249 (67.3)		221	88.8	28	11.2	0.54	0.29–0.98	.042
Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months
Yes		297(80.3)	257	86.5	40	13.5	1^a
No		73(19.7)	62	84.9	11	15.1	1.14	0.55–2.34	.72
Duration of breastfeeding
0–12 months		146(39.5)	122	83.6	24	16.4	1.43	0.79–2.60	.23
13–24 months		224(60.5)	197	87.9	27	12.1	1^a
Following anti-vaccine groups on social media
Yes		43(11.6)	24	55.8	19	44.2	4.51	2.82–7.22	<.001
No		327(88.4)	295	90.2	32	9.8	1^a
Using vitamin D or iron supplements except illnesses for their child
Yes		266(71.9)	240	90.2	26	9.8	1 ^a
No		29(7.8)	21	72.4	8	27.6	3.49	1.33–8.60	.004
Partially		75(20.3)	58	77.3	17	22.7	2.69	1.35–5.30	.002
Worrying about ingredients in vaccines
No		248(67.0)	235	94.8	13	5.2	1^a
Yes		122(33.0)	84	68.9	38	31.1	8.17	4.15–16.09	<.001
Source of information on vaccines
Official or medical information sources		335 (90.5)	296	88.4	39	11.6	1^a
Social media, TV.		35 (9.5)	23	65.7	12	34.3	3.96	1.82–8.58	.001**
Using alternative medicine
Yes		104(28.1)	81	77.9	23	22.1	2.10	1.27–3.47	.004
No		266(71.9)	238	89.5	28	10.5	1^a

^aReference category, * The ones who gave responses as “I do not remember” were removed., **Fisher’s Exract test

Table 3. Distribution of the reasons for vaccine refusal (n = 18)

Reason(s) selected by participants	n (%)
Mistrust in the vaccine ingredients	3 (16.6)
Adverse effect (BCG, Allergy)	1 (5.6)
The belief of being harmful to the child (Hepatitis A, BCG)	2 (11.1)
Refusing special vaccines (influenza, rotavirus, meningococcal vaccine) (expensive, unnecessary)	10 (55.5)
Hepatitis A second dose (the belief that a single dose is protective)	1 (5.6)
Religious reasons (the belief that there are porcine products in rotavirus vaccine)	1 (5.6)

Table 4. Factors affecting vaccine hesitancy according to logistic regression analysis

Variables	OR	CI 95%	p
Mother’s education
Primary	1 ^a
High school	0.79	0.13–4.63	.802
University	1.84	0.34–9.74	.47
Graduate school	2.82	0.59–13.43	.19
Pregnancy with treatment
No	1 ^a
Yes	3.05	1.02–9.10	.045
Training on vaccines during pregnancy
Yes	1 ^a
No	1.38	0.65–2.91	.38
Vitamin D use
Yes	1 ^a
No	3.74	1.17–11.96	.026
Partially	1.70	0.75–3.86	.199
Alternative medicine use
No	1 ^a
Yes	1.55	0.73–3.28	.250
Following anti-vaccine groups on social media
No	1 ^a
Yes	3.01	1.23–7.33	.015
Source of information
Scientific information	1 ^a
Social media	1.89	0.62–5.73	.255
The place where the birth took place
Public Hospital	1.25	0.23–3.54	.278
Private Hospital	1 ^a
Worrying about ingredients in vaccines
No	1 ^a
Yes	2.93	1.20–7.15	.018

^aReference category; boldface indicates statistical significance (p < .05).