Vaccine refusal in pregnant women in Kahramanmaraş: a community-based study from Türkiye

Abstract

Background The global health landscape is increasingly challenged by the rejection of childhood vaccines. This study investigates vaccination reservations and refusal among pregnant women. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, spanning January to March 2019, entailing face to face interviews with 938 pregnant women. The questionnaire collected sociodemographic data and probed vaccination attitudes. The decision to vaccinate the baby was treated as the dependent variable, analyzed alongside sociodemographic factors and other variables. Data underwent evaluation via descriptive analysis, the Chi-square test, and binary logistic regression. Results Participants had a mean age of 27.6 years. Among them 20 (2.1%) expressed intent to either abstain from or partially vaccinate their babies, with 70% citing apprehensions regarding potential vaccine-related harm. Statistical analysis unveiled that higher economic income, elevated parental education level, fewer than two children, reliance on the Internet for vaccination information, and a lack of trust in physicians significantly correlated with vaccine refusal among pregnant women (p < 0.05). Conclusions The study concludes that dissemination of vaccination information by the healthcare professionals, complemented by the enactment of pro-vaccine internet policies holds promise in shaping vaccination behavior.