Vaccination Trends and Family-Level Characteristics Associated With Incomplete or Delayed Childhood Immunizations:...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Childhood immunizations are crucial for preventing infectious diseases.
• Adherence to recommended vaccination schedules is essential for community immunity.
• Understanding factors influencing immunization adherence is vital for public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess family-level factors associated with adherence to childhood immunization schedules.
• To identify predictors of vaccination schedule completion in young children.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study of 1,410 pregnant women in Denver, Colorado (2009-2014).
• Analysis of vaccination data for children aged 0-6 years.
• Logistic regression used to compare family-level factors influencing vaccine schedule adherence.

Main Results:

• Only 61.8% of children completed the full vaccination series, below national goals.
• Factors associated with non-adherence included in-utero smoke exposure, single-parent households, non-White ethnicity, mothers not working outside the home, and lower household income.
• Higher maternal education and older parental age were associated with increased likelihood of completing the vaccination series.

Conclusions:

• Specific family-level factors are significantly associated with childhood immunization schedule adherence.
• Findings can inform targeted interventions to improve vaccination rates in at-risk populations.
• Addressing barriers related to socioeconomic status and parental factors may reduce immunization hesitancy and increase access.