Parental Beliefs, General Attitudes, and Vaccine Hesitancy among Mothers in Compliance with Childhood Immunization

Abstract

Childhood immunization depends not only on vaccine availability but also on how parents understand, trust, and experience immunization services. This study examined parental beliefs, general attitudes, and vaccine hesitancy among mothers accessing childhood immunization services in selected City Health Offices in Negros Occidental, Philippines. A quantitative descriptive-comparative survey was conducted among 75 mothers of children aged 1 day to 60 months. A researcher-developed, expert-reviewed questionnaire assessed demographic characteristics, parental beliefs, general attitudes, and vaccine-related views. The study used descriptive statistics, independent-samples t tests, analysis of variance, and Tukey post hoc comparisons. Mothers showed moderate parental-belief scores (M = 3.45) and moderate general-attitude scores (M = 3.17). Vaccine-domain responses were predominantly supportive of immunization, although concerns about newer vaccines and adverse effects remained. General attitudes and vaccine-related views did not differ significantly across demographic groups. Parental beliefs differed only by family income, F(2, 72) = 3.29, p = .043. Findings support sustained, community-based, trust-building communication led by accessible health professionals and barangay health workers.