TY - JOUR
T1 - Factors influencing parental COVID-19 vaccination willingness for children in Japan
AU - Ueta, Mami
AU - Cao, Alton
AU - Murakami, Michio
AU - Tomoi, Hana
AU - Gilmour, Stuart
AU - Maruyama-Sakurai, Keiko
AU - Takayama, Yoshihiro
AU - Takebayashi, Yoshitake
AU - Hashizume, Masahiro
AU - Kumar, Rauniyar Santosh
AU - Kunishima, Hiroyuki
AU - Naito, Wataru
AU - Yasutaka, Tetsuo
AU - Kaneko, Satoshi
AU - Miyata, Hiroaki
AU - Nomura, Shuhei
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Authors
PY - 2024/8
Y1 - 2024/8
N2 - Objectives: This study aims to investigate the factors influencing parental willingness in COVID-19 vaccination for children in Japan in light of the introduction of pediatric vaccines. Methods: An online survey was conducted in February 2022, coinciding with the imminent start of pediatric COVID-19 vaccinations in Japan. It assessed attitudes toward vaccine uptake and included questions about health-related attributes, psychological considerations, and sources of COVID-19 information. Data from 2,419 respondents who had children under the age of 12 were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression to identify factors associated with parental willingness towards COVID-19 vaccination for children. The outcomes were “agree” (in favor of vaccination), “not sure” (undecided), with “disagree” (against vaccination) as the reference category. Results: Among participants supportive of vaccination (“agree” compared to the “disagree” reference), salient determinants included: gender (Men in reference to women: odds ratio [OR] 1.54; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.11–2.15), highest educational level (Junior College/Vocational in reference to under high school: OR 0.61; 95 % CI 0.40–0.93, Bachelor's /Master's/Doctoral degree in reference to under high school: OR 0.59; 95 % CI 0.42–0.84), perception of benefits of COVID-19 vaccination (Significant in reference to Insignificant: OR 2.04; 95 % CI 1.26–3.28), perception of risks of COVID-19 vaccination (Significant in reference to Insignificant: OR 0.28; 95 % CI 0.19–0.42, Neutral in reference to Insignificant: OR 0.48; 95 % CI 0.33–0.71), the number of referenced information sources utilized for COVID-19 was associated with attitudes towards children's vaccination (OR 1.02; 95 % CI 1.00–1.04). Conclusion: The study highlights the multifaceted factors influencing parents’ COVID-19 vaccination attitudes for their children, encompassing socioeconomic, health, psychological, and informational aspects. Factors like cautious information gathering, vaccine concerns and diverse referenced information sources impact willingness. To facilitate informed decision-making, essential measures include government risk communication, widespread vaccine information dissemination, and enhancing parents’ health information accessibility and evaluation skills are important.
AB - Objectives: This study aims to investigate the factors influencing parental willingness in COVID-19 vaccination for children in Japan in light of the introduction of pediatric vaccines. Methods: An online survey was conducted in February 2022, coinciding with the imminent start of pediatric COVID-19 vaccinations in Japan. It assessed attitudes toward vaccine uptake and included questions about health-related attributes, psychological considerations, and sources of COVID-19 information. Data from 2,419 respondents who had children under the age of 12 were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression to identify factors associated with parental willingness towards COVID-19 vaccination for children. The outcomes were “agree” (in favor of vaccination), “not sure” (undecided), with “disagree” (against vaccination) as the reference category. Results: Among participants supportive of vaccination (“agree” compared to the “disagree” reference), salient determinants included: gender (Men in reference to women: odds ratio [OR] 1.54; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.11–2.15), highest educational level (Junior College/Vocational in reference to under high school: OR 0.61; 95 % CI 0.40–0.93, Bachelor's /Master's/Doctoral degree in reference to under high school: OR 0.59; 95 % CI 0.42–0.84), perception of benefits of COVID-19 vaccination (Significant in reference to Insignificant: OR 2.04; 95 % CI 1.26–3.28), perception of risks of COVID-19 vaccination (Significant in reference to Insignificant: OR 0.28; 95 % CI 0.19–0.42, Neutral in reference to Insignificant: OR 0.48; 95 % CI 0.33–0.71), the number of referenced information sources utilized for COVID-19 was associated with attitudes towards children's vaccination (OR 1.02; 95 % CI 1.00–1.04). Conclusion: The study highlights the multifaceted factors influencing parents’ COVID-19 vaccination attitudes for their children, encompassing socioeconomic, health, psychological, and informational aspects. Factors like cautious information gathering, vaccine concerns and diverse referenced information sources impact willingness. To facilitate informed decision-making, essential measures include government risk communication, widespread vaccine information dissemination, and enhancing parents’ health information accessibility and evaluation skills are important.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Child
KW - Japan
KW - Parent
KW - Vaccination
KW - Willingness
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jvacx.2024.100528
DO - 10.1016/j.jvacx.2024.100528
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85199433453
SN - 2590-1362
VL - 19
JO - Vaccine: X
JF - Vaccine: X
M1 - 100528
ER -
