Vaccine hesitation: attitudes of Turkish health worker parents towards adult and childhood immunisation
Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs of healthcare professionals who are also parents toward childhood vaccinations, as well as the sociodemographic and occupational factors associated with these attitudes. Methods This cross-sectional research stu...
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2025-08-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-24100-5 |
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| author | Emre Çelik Çağrı Emin Şahin Mehmet Sait Değer Zeynep Meva Altaş |
| author_facet | Emre Çelik Çağrı Emin Şahin Mehmet Sait Değer Zeynep Meva Altaş |
| author_sort | Emre Çelik |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs of healthcare professionals who are also parents toward childhood vaccinations, as well as the sociodemographic and occupational factors associated with these attitudes. Methods This cross-sectional research study employed a population of healthcare professionals who are also parents. Sociodemographic data, parental attitudes toward childhood vaccines (PACV Scale), and psychological vaccination antecedents (5 C Scale) were obtained through a Google Forms survey. Vaccine hesitancy was considered to be indicated by a PACV score of 50 or above. The five subdimensions of the 5 C scale are confidence, complacency, constraints, calculation, and collective responsibility. Elevated scores on a subdimension reflect more positive attitudes toward that dimension. A total of 374 individuals participated in this study. Results The rate of delaying vaccinations due to reasons other than illness or allergy was 11.5%, while the rate of vaccine refusal was 8.0%. The survey revealed that 85.6% of respondents favored the administration of all vaccines on the Ministry of Health’s schedule to newborns. Based on the PACV scale, vaccine hesitancy was observed in 7.5% of participants (n = 28). A statistically significant negative association was found between PACV scores and higher levels of education and income (p < 0.05). A significant correlation was observed between PACV scores and a range of factors: gender, level of education, professional group, experience, income, and vaccine delay or rejection. The median PACV score for physicians was significantly lower than that of midwives, nurses, and public health officers (p < 0.001). Conclusions Despite predominantly positive participant attitudes towards childhood vaccination, supplemental educational outreach programs focusing on low-income communities and parents who decline vaccination are recommended. Qualitative studies are necessary to elucidate the motivations and perspectives underlying vaccine hesitancy within the healthcare profession. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ab55d060ba8a40a1ae39c215aaff739c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-ab55d060ba8a40a1ae39c215aaff739c2025-08-24T11:55:34ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-08-0125111110.1186/s12889-025-24100-5Vaccine hesitation: attitudes of Turkish health worker parents towards adult and childhood immunisationEmre Çelik0Çağrı Emin Şahin1Mehmet Sait Değer2Zeynep Meva Altaş3Department of Pediatrics, Bursa City Training and Research HospitalEpidemiology Program, Institute of Health Sciences, Istanbul Medipol UniversityDepartment of Public Health, Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine, İstanbul University- CerrahpaşaDepartment of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Marmara UniversityAbstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs of healthcare professionals who are also parents toward childhood vaccinations, as well as the sociodemographic and occupational factors associated with these attitudes. Methods This cross-sectional research study employed a population of healthcare professionals who are also parents. Sociodemographic data, parental attitudes toward childhood vaccines (PACV Scale), and psychological vaccination antecedents (5 C Scale) were obtained through a Google Forms survey. Vaccine hesitancy was considered to be indicated by a PACV score of 50 or above. The five subdimensions of the 5 C scale are confidence, complacency, constraints, calculation, and collective responsibility. Elevated scores on a subdimension reflect more positive attitudes toward that dimension. A total of 374 individuals participated in this study. Results The rate of delaying vaccinations due to reasons other than illness or allergy was 11.5%, while the rate of vaccine refusal was 8.0%. The survey revealed that 85.6% of respondents favored the administration of all vaccines on the Ministry of Health’s schedule to newborns. Based on the PACV scale, vaccine hesitancy was observed in 7.5% of participants (n = 28). A statistically significant negative association was found between PACV scores and higher levels of education and income (p < 0.05). A significant correlation was observed between PACV scores and a range of factors: gender, level of education, professional group, experience, income, and vaccine delay or rejection. The median PACV score for physicians was significantly lower than that of midwives, nurses, and public health officers (p < 0.001). Conclusions Despite predominantly positive participant attitudes towards childhood vaccination, supplemental educational outreach programs focusing on low-income communities and parents who decline vaccination are recommended. Qualitative studies are necessary to elucidate the motivations and perspectives underlying vaccine hesitancy within the healthcare profession.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-24100-5Healthcare professionalsTurkiyeVaccine hesitancyVaccine refusal |
| spellingShingle | Emre Çelik Çağrı Emin Şahin Mehmet Sait Değer Zeynep Meva Altaş Vaccine hesitation: attitudes of Turkish health worker parents towards adult and childhood immunisation BMC Public Health Healthcare professionals Turkiye Vaccine hesitancy Vaccine refusal |
| title | Vaccine hesitation: attitudes of Turkish health worker parents towards adult and childhood immunisation |
| title_full | Vaccine hesitation: attitudes of Turkish health worker parents towards adult and childhood immunisation |
| title_fullStr | Vaccine hesitation: attitudes of Turkish health worker parents towards adult and childhood immunisation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vaccine hesitation: attitudes of Turkish health worker parents towards adult and childhood immunisation |
| title_short | Vaccine hesitation: attitudes of Turkish health worker parents towards adult and childhood immunisation |
| title_sort | vaccine hesitation attitudes of turkish health worker parents towards adult and childhood immunisation |
| topic | Healthcare professionals Turkiye Vaccine hesitancy Vaccine refusal |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-24100-5 |
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