A descriptive qualitative study of perceptions of parents on their child's vaccination
Liana Kurup BSc, RN
Staff Nurse
Division of Nursing, Alexandra Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Hong-Gu He PhD, RN, MD
Associate Professor
Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Correspondence
Hong-Gu He, Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorXuefei Wang MN, RN
Senior Staff Nurse
Outram Polyclinic, SingHealth Polyclinics, Singapore
Search for more papers by this authorWenru Wang PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Search for more papers by this authorShefaly Shorey PhD, RN, RM
Assistant Professor
Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Search for more papers by this authorLiana Kurup BSc, RN
Staff Nurse
Division of Nursing, Alexandra Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Hong-Gu He PhD, RN, MD
Associate Professor
Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Correspondence
Hong-Gu He, Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorXuefei Wang MN, RN
Senior Staff Nurse
Outram Polyclinic, SingHealth Polyclinics, Singapore
Search for more papers by this authorWenru Wang PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Search for more papers by this authorShefaly Shorey PhD, RN, RM
Assistant Professor
Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Aims and objectives
To explore the perceptions of parents on their child's vaccination in Singapore.
Background
Vaccination is a key part of health care, and the management of vaccination for children has gained increasing interest globally. Previous studies found that parents had multiple concerns and low confidence in making vaccination decisions for their children. As no study in this area has been conducted in Singapore, the views and needs of parents regarding their child's vaccination remain unknown.
Design
Descriptive qualitative study.
Methods
Purposive sampling was used to recruit 19 parents of children undergoing routine vaccination in a clinic in Singapore. Semistructured face-to-face or telephone interviews were conducted using an interview guide and were audiorecorded. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.
Results
The thematic analysis generated four themes from 15 subthemes. Theme 1 summarised the factors promoting vaccination uptake, theme 2 was factors impeding vaccination compliance, theme 3 described parents' supportive roles before, during and after the vaccination, and theme 4 was about parents' need for improvement in vaccination services, information and communication with healthcare professionals.
Conclusions
This study provided insight into parental views, experiences and needs regarding their child's vaccination. The results suggest a need for developing intervention programmes addressing information needs and pain management strategies to improve parents' experiences regarding their children's vaccination.
Relevance to clinical practice
Healthcare professionals and policymakers should take actions to improve parents' experiences regarding their child's vaccination by minimising the impeding factors and improving services, information provided and communications with parents.
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