29th Annual Student Research Conference
Parental Attitudes and Behaviors Toward the Flu Vaccine
Joetta J. Schmidt* and Jessi Falvey
Dr. Alicia Wodika, Faculty Mentor
The influenza vaccine provides protection against seasonal flu; a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization or even death in extremely serious cases. The most susceptible to seasonal flu include individuals over age 65 and children. Since children are at a higher risk for influenza, this study sought to ascertain parental attitudes and behaviors towards the flu vaccine. Using survey-based methods, parents (n=46) were conveniently sampled from a rural elementary school in Northeast Missouri. Along with behavior questions, the 11-item survey included a Likert scale to measure participants' trust among various sources to deliver information about the vaccine. Preliminary results demonstrated most parents vaccinated their child(ren) in the past year, however, many parents were misinformed stating they vaccinated their child to help lessen the child's symptoms if they did indeed get sick. Parents also stated they had the most trust in their family physician to deliver information about the vaccine.
Keywords: Flu Vaccine , Parental Attitudes , Parental Behaviors
Topic(s):Health Science
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 8-7
Location: GEO-SUB
Time: 3:30