The impact of parents' health behaviours on their preferences regarding vaccinations in Bialystok, Poland

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p><jats:bold>Background.</jats:bold> Currently, as the number of vaccinated children in Poland and throughout Europe is decreasing. Many factors impact on the rate vaccination and parents’ health behaviours may affect the frequency of vaccinations. The aim of the study was to assess the association of parents’ health behaviors with children’s vaccinations.<jats:bold>Methods.</jats:bold> A cross-sectional survey was conducted from July 2015 to June 2016 to assess to assess the association of parents’ health behaviors with children’s vaccinations in Białystok city, Poland. We used the the Inventory of Health Behaviours and an original questionnaire including demographic data and questions about vaccination. Three hundred parents were recruited from the Pro Medica Family Medica Center in Bialystok, Poland.<jats:bold>Results:</jats:bold> Only 3.7% of respondents did not vaccinate their children. The level of health behaviours was average in 42.3% of the respondents, low in 33%, and high in 24.7%. Significant differences in health behaviours, mainly the level of normal eating habits (p = 0.038) and positive mental attitude (p=0.022), were found in relation to views on the toxicity of vaccines. Participants who reported that vaccines can cause autism engaged in a higher level of prophylactic behaviours. Respondents who vaccinated their children with combined vaccines had a significantly higher level of health practices. <jats:bold>Conclusions:</jats:bold> Parents preferred health behaviours did not effect on children vaccination. Parents who believed in the toxicity of vaccines were more concerned about proper nutrition, had a positive mental attitude, and engaged in a higher level of preventive behaviours and health practices. Parents who did not vaccinate their children had lower levels of normal eating habits. Parents who vaccinated their children with combined vaccines had a higher level of health behaviours, especially in terms of health practices.</jats:p>

Parental attitudes towards mandatory vaccination; a systematic review

“…[41] Lower education was associated with lower support for mandatory vaccination in a moderate quality study, [32] but not a poor quality study. [36,37] Two further studies (one good quality, one moderate quality) found no evidence for an association between education and support for mandatory vaccination schemes restricting access to child-care or schooling only to vaccinated children. [30,35] Lower household income was associated with lower support for mandatory vaccination schemes in which childcare or schooling is limited to vaccinated children in a good quality study, [30] while a moderate quality study found no evidence for an association.…”

“…[32] There was no evidence for an association between the child having previously experienced an adverse effect from vaccination and support for mandatory vaccination in a poor quality study. [36,37] There was also no evidence that support for mandatory vaccination schemes changed between 2008 and 2016 in a moderate quality study. [33] Parents of US children who were home-schooled were less supportive of mandatory vaccination, [40] and more supportive of allowing religious belief exemptions and personal belief exemptions for vaccines required for school-entry.…”

“…Five quantitative studies scored particularly poorly (between three and five). [36][37][38][39][40][41] These studies were poor across the different dimensions evaluated, but low scores were because participants were not representative of the target population, complete outcome data were not reported, confounders were not accounted for in the study design and analysis, and outcome variables were not robustly measured.…”

“…[29] Four studies found no evidence for an association between parent gender and support for mandatory vaccination schemes. [29,30,[35][36][37] One poor quality study found an association between younger age and lower support for mandatory vaccination, [36,37] while three studies (two good quality, one moderate quality) found no evidence for an association. [29,30,35] A further poor quality study found that parents of younger children were less likely to support mandatory vaccination.…”

“…[35] Lower household income was also associated with lower support for mandatory vaccination in a poor quality study. [36,37] White ethnicity was associated with support for restrictions in eligibility for childcare or schooling for unvaccinated children. [30] There was no evidence for an association between ethnicity and the "no jab, no pay" scheme.…”