- Title
- Factors influencing parents' decision-making to complete childhood immunisation in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia: a mixed methods design
- Creator
- Alabadi, Marwa Saeed M.
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2024
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- In pursuit of a healthier and more resilient society, childhood vaccination and immunisation programmes have emerged as powerful allies in combating infectious diseases and protecting public health. Surveillance data from the Saudi Ministry of Health show that the Kingdom’s large-scale immunisation programme has significantly reduced the mortality and morbidity of target diseases among children. Similar to other countries, Saudi Arabia continues to face the challenge of inconsistent vaccination uptake across its population due to several reasons. The exact prevalence of these factors and their relationship to vaccination compliance in Saudi Arabia are not well understood. Furthermore, the controversy surrounding the risks and benefits of childhood vaccinations has led parents to question its safety. To build upon the understanding of parental decision-making concerning health-protective behaviours, this research study followed several steps. Firstly, a comprehensive systematic literature review was conducted to identify and analyse existing research on parental compliance with childhood immunisation in Saudi Arabia, highlighting key factors influencing compliance rates. Secondly, this research study employed two research methodologies (mixed methods)— quantitative and qualitative methods—to identify the factors that contribute to parents' decision-making regarding completing Saudi Arabia's National Childhood Vaccination Programme. The quantitative approach in Phase 1 surveyed 353 parents attending one of the 27 primary health care (PHC) centres in Qatif, located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The quantitative results identified several factors that positively or negatively influenced the completion of childhood immunisation. Parents with positive attitudes, social norms, perceptions towards immunisation, and those working in private companies were more likely to immunise their children. On the contrary, living in an apartment building, walking to primary healthcare centres (PHCs), waiting longer at PHCs, and having higher knowledge of immunisation were negatively associated with the completion of childhood immunisation. The qualitative approach in Phase 2 applied thematic analysis to 20 parents interviewed who attended PHC centres in Qatif. The findings demonstrated that there were social (e.g., family influence, peer pressure) and ecological (e.g., healthcare accessibility, public policy) factors influencing childhood immunisation and immunisation hesitancy among parents in Saudi Arabia. This research resulted in three key recommendations: 1) implementing tailored educational campaigns to address parental concerns and misconceptions about vaccines; 2) improving accessibility to vaccination services, particularly in remote areas, by enhancing healthcare infrastructure and mobile clinics; and 3) fostering community engagement through partnerships with local leaders and organizations to promote the importance of immunisation. These recommendations aim to enhance immunisation programmes and overcome barriers to compliance. Therefore, this research contributes to the literature and informs the Saudi National Childhood Immunisation Programme about factors contributing to childhood immunisation hesitancy, helping to address a critical healthcare issue.
- Subject
- public healthcare; childhood immunisation; childhood vaccination; vaccine hesitancy; delayed vaccination; Saudi Arabia; immunisation in Saudi Arabia; parental immunisation perceptions
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1507826
- Identifier
- uon:56064
- Rights
- Copyright 2024 Marwa Saeed M. Alabadi
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT01 | Thesis | 78 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Abstract | 260 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |