STUDY AIMS: This qualitative study aims to evaluate the hypothesis that vaccination attitudes, knowledge, and factors of influence differ between pregnant teen and young adults and pregnant adults. The study explores these themes in efforts to offer insight on ways in which vaccine uptake and strategies can be improved.
METHODS: Participants that were at least 18 years of age, pregnant, and English or Spanish speaking were recruited from the study sites and interviewed. Qualitative interviews consisted of topics including childhood vaccination importance, adult vaccination importance, vaccine information and trust, influenza vaccination and Tdap vaccination in pregnancy, and COVID vaccination. Data collected from interviews were collaboratively coded and analyzed using content analysis.
RESULTS: A total of 13 pregnant teens and young adults and 19 pregnant adults participated. Some topics and questions indicated significant differences that supported the hypothesis and rejected the null that there were no significant differences in vaccine attitudes, knowledge, and influence, between pregnant teens and young adults and pregnant adults. These topics and questions included adult vaccine refusal, knowledge of flu vaccine preventing complications in pregnancy, knowledge of Tdap vaccine during in general, knowledge of maternal Tdap vaccination, knowledge of Tdap vaccine during protecting babies against whooping cough, Public Service Announcement influence, and COVID-19 impact on other vaccines. Compared with adults, teens and young adults were less knowledgeable about some vaccinations, more likely to refuse specific vaccinations, and more likely to say that the COVID pandemic negatively affected their views of vaccinations. Despite these differences, vaccination rates were similar.
CONCLUSION: Vaccine attitudes and uptake amongst pregnant teens and young adults did not generally differ in most instances from pregnant adults. However, a huge knowledge gap between the two groups were evident. Despite vaccine adherence with limited knowledge in pregnant teens and young adults, their most trusted sources, like health care providers, should put forth greater efforts to provide teens and young adults with vaccine knowledge through suitable platforms and sources.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/45562 |
| Date | 01 February 2023 |
| Creators | Hall, Taylor |
| Contributors | Symes, Karen, Perkins, Rebecca |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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