Teenagers’ understandings of and attitudes towards vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases: a qualitative study
Teenagers’ understandings of and attitudes towards vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases: a qualitative study
Background: To examine immunisation information needs of teenagers we explored understandings of vaccination and vaccine-preventable diseases, attitudes towards immunisation and experiences of immunisation. Diseases discussed included nine for which vaccines are currently offered in the UK (human papillomavirus, meningitis, tetanus, diphtheria, polio, whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella), and two not currently included in the routine UK schedule (hepatitis B and chickenpox).
Methods: Twelve focus groups conducted between November 2010 and March 2011 with 59 teenagers (29 girls and 30 boys) living in various parts of Scotland.
Results: Teenagers exhibited limited knowledge and experience of the diseases, excluding chickenpox. Measles, mumps and rubella were perceived as severe forms of chickenpox-like illness, and rubella was not associated with foetal damage. Boys commonly believed that human papillomavirus only affects girls, and both genders exhibited confusion about its relationship with cancer. Participants considered two key factors when assessing the threat of diseases: their prevalence in the UK, and their potential to cause fatal or long-term harm. Meningitis was seen as a threat, but primarily to babies. Participants explained their limited knowledge as a result of mass immunisation making once-common diseases rare in the UK, and acknowledged immunisation's role in reducing disease prevalence.
Conclusions: While it is welcome that fewer teenagers have experienced vaccine-preventable diseases, this presents public health advocates with the challenge of communicating benefits of immunisation when advantages are less visible. The findings are timely in view of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's recommendation that a booster of meningitis C vaccine should be offered to teenagers; that teenagers did not perceive meningitis C as a significant threat should be a key concern of promotional information. While teenagers’ experiences of immunisation in school were not always positive, they seemed enthusiastic at the prospect of introducing more vaccines for their age group.
2543-2550
Hilton, S.
8df3f9ac-32c8-48cb-b709-7c9ee65f140f
Patterson, C.
b9e39586-f0da-4cf5-b85f-066e8a078d4d
Smith, E.
14999f6c-eac3-403b-b3df-f8c1bd0788ee
Bedford, H.
718af8d0-7317-49ae-b70f-6ddf73aa5c31
Hunt, K.
982c96d7-0013-46fb-8c68-71620842c971
24 May 2013
Hilton, S.
8df3f9ac-32c8-48cb-b709-7c9ee65f140f
Patterson, C.
b9e39586-f0da-4cf5-b85f-066e8a078d4d
Smith, E.
14999f6c-eac3-403b-b3df-f8c1bd0788ee
Bedford, H.
718af8d0-7317-49ae-b70f-6ddf73aa5c31
Hunt, K.
982c96d7-0013-46fb-8c68-71620842c971
Hilton, S., Patterson, C., Smith, E., Bedford, H. and Hunt, K.
(2013)
Teenagers’ understandings of and attitudes towards vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases: a qualitative study.
Vaccine, 31 (22), .
(doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.04.023).
(PMID:23602536)
Abstract
Background: To examine immunisation information needs of teenagers we explored understandings of vaccination and vaccine-preventable diseases, attitudes towards immunisation and experiences of immunisation. Diseases discussed included nine for which vaccines are currently offered in the UK (human papillomavirus, meningitis, tetanus, diphtheria, polio, whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella), and two not currently included in the routine UK schedule (hepatitis B and chickenpox).
Methods: Twelve focus groups conducted between November 2010 and March 2011 with 59 teenagers (29 girls and 30 boys) living in various parts of Scotland.
Results: Teenagers exhibited limited knowledge and experience of the diseases, excluding chickenpox. Measles, mumps and rubella were perceived as severe forms of chickenpox-like illness, and rubella was not associated with foetal damage. Boys commonly believed that human papillomavirus only affects girls, and both genders exhibited confusion about its relationship with cancer. Participants considered two key factors when assessing the threat of diseases: their prevalence in the UK, and their potential to cause fatal or long-term harm. Meningitis was seen as a threat, but primarily to babies. Participants explained their limited knowledge as a result of mass immunisation making once-common diseases rare in the UK, and acknowledged immunisation's role in reducing disease prevalence.
Conclusions: While it is welcome that fewer teenagers have experienced vaccine-preventable diseases, this presents public health advocates with the challenge of communicating benefits of immunisation when advantages are less visible. The findings are timely in view of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's recommendation that a booster of meningitis C vaccine should be offered to teenagers; that teenagers did not perceive meningitis C as a significant threat should be a key concern of promotional information. While teenagers’ experiences of immunisation in school were not always positive, they seemed enthusiastic at the prospect of introducing more vaccines for their age group.
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Published date: 24 May 2013
Organisations:
Psychology
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Local EPrints ID: 369242
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/369242
PURE UUID: 36b17e5e-324c-449a-bac0-464e0b58f1fd
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Date deposited: 30 Sep 2014 12:05
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 17:59
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Author:
S. Hilton
Author:
C. Patterson
Author:
E. Smith
Author:
H. Bedford
Author:
K. Hunt
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