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Published on: January 28, 2019
Parents' insights after pediatric hospitalization due to rotavirus gastroenteritis in Italy
Federico Marchetti1, Volker Vetter2, Giorgio Conforti3
1a GSK , Verona , Italy.
Insights
Rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) hospitalizations cause significant parental stress in Italy, with most families unaware of available rotavirus vaccines. Increased education on RVGE and vaccination is crucial for Italian families.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) is a leading cause of severe illness in children under five globally.
- In Italy, approximately 15,000 RVGE hospitalizations occur annually, imposing a significant burden on families.
- Available rotavirus vaccines can effectively reduce RVGE hospitalizations and associated impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate parental insights and stress levels following their child's hospitalization for RVGE in Italy.
- To assess parental awareness of rotavirus vaccination and its potential role in preventing RVGE.
Main Methods:
- A survey was conducted with parents of 500 children aged 0-5 years hospitalized for RVGE.
- Parents reported on their experiences, rating stress levels related to various aspects of hospitalization and overall family impact.
- Data on child demographics, referral sources, and vaccination status were collected.
Main Results:
- Parental stress scores during RVGE hospitalization were high, particularly concerning child malaise, vomiting/diarrhea, and dehydration.
- Two-thirds of parents reported high overall stress for the family, with significant geographical variations.
- A vast majority of children (91.8%) were unvaccinated, primarily due to parental unawareness of rotavirus vaccine availability (74.5%).
Conclusions:
- Parental distress associated with RVGE hospitalization is substantial in Italy.
- There is a critical need to improve parental awareness regarding rotavirus vaccination.
- Enhanced educational initiatives targeting families in Italy are warranted to promote RVGE prevention through vaccination.
Abstract:
Most of the severe cases of acute gastroenteritis in infants and children under 5 globally are caused by rotavirus infection. There are nearly 15,000 rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) hospitalizations in Italy each year, which could be reduced by available rotavirus vaccines. In addition to the economic and societal burden, RVGE hospitalization could impact families negatively. The aim of this survey was to obtain parents' insights after hospitalization of their child for RVGE. Parents, of 500 children aged 0-5 years, were interviewed about their experience of RVGE hospitalization and asked to rate their stress on different items and overall. Most children (32.6%) were hospitalized aged 12-23 months, and 6.8% were <6 months old. Family pediatricians referred 56.2% of cases to hospital, and 25.8% went based on their parents' decision. During hospitalization, mean parental stress scores (out of 10, with 10 as highest stress) ranged from 6.6 to 8.4. The highest scores were for child malaise (8.42, SD 1.00), vomiting/diarrhea (8.07, SD 0.97), stress for the family in general (7.82, SD 0.90), parental stress (7.68, SD 0.93) and child dehydration (7.18, SD 1.02). The overall stress for the family was graded as 'high' by 67.2% of parents. Geographical areas and stress level were related (p = 0.0071), being the "high" stress score not an evenly distributed variable (p < 0.0001). Most children (91.8%) were not vaccinated against rotavirus, as most parents (74.5%) were not aware of vaccination availability. Parental distress due to RVGE hospitalization appears to be significant (93.6% reporting high/medium stress) and there is an important lack of awareness among parents about rotavirus vaccination. More education on RVGE for families in Italy should be warranted.
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