Mothers' knowledge and information needs relating to childhood immunizations

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine mothers' literacy level and knowledge, information needs, and information-seeking behaviors related to the vaccine(s) their children were receiving. A convenience sample of 15 mothers with one child and 15 mothers with two or more children was recruited at a free, urban, walk-in immunization clinic in Detroit. Participants completed the REALM test and a demographic form. Structured interviews were conducted to assess a mother's knowledge, information needs, and information-seeking behavior relating to the vaccines. The average reading skills were at the 7th- to 8th-grade level. Only four mothers knew the name and purpose of the vaccine their child was receiving. Information needs of the 26 mothers who did not know the name or purpose of the vaccine were categorized as immediate or deferred according to Krikelas's model of information seeking. More mothers with one child had immediate information needs, while more mothers with two or more children had deferred information needs. Primary sources of vaccine information were physicians and nurses. More research needs to be done to determine which nursing interventions work best to satisfy a mother's information needs.