Factors Determining the Uptake of Influenza Vaccination among Children with Chronic Conditions

Background

 Studies report that the influenza vaccination uptake rate among children with chronic conditions is alarmingly low. In Hong Kong, there has been no study examining parental decision making about influenza vaccination for children with chronic conditions, thereby limiting the knowledge base to inform the development of specific strategies to improve influenza vaccination rates. The aim of this study was to identify factors determining the uptake of influenza vaccination among children with chronic conditions.

 Methods

 We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 623 parents with children having a chronic condition recruited from pediatric wards and specialty outpatient departments of 2 acute hospitals. A questionnaire developed by Daley et al based on the Health Belief Model was used to examine parents' beliefs and attitudes toward influenza and vaccination. 

Results

 The parents' and their children's mean age were 40.1 ± 8.1 and 8.0 ± 4.5 years, respectively. Among the children, the most prevalent chronic conditions were asthma, chronic respiratory disease and cardiomyopathy. One-third (33%) of the children had influenza vaccination in the past 12 months. More than one-third (39%) of parents intended to vaccinate their children against influenza in the coming influenza season. A multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that all subscale scores except perceived severity and knowledge about influenza were independently significantly associated with uptake. 

Conclusions

The findings indicate that parents of children with chronic conditions lack awareness of the risks of influenza and have insufficient understanding about the benefits of vaccination. These findings could inform the development of interventions to promote vaccination uptake among children with chronic conditions.