Social support and its relationship to immunization status in preschool children

Many children are at risk for developing serious and costly health problems because they are not adequately immunized. This descriptive correlational study explored the relationship between social support, parental knowledge of vaccine-preventable diseases, and the immunization status of preschool children. A convenience sample of 153 parents and guardians of children aged 6 to 24 months completed Procidano and Heller's Perceived Social Support Scales, a questionnaire on immunization knowledge, and a demographics questionnaire. Data indicating completeness of immunizations were obtained from the children's health records. Point-biserial statistical analysis revealed a positive relationship between immunization status and social support (r = .29; p = .0003). This finding supports those of past studies that identified a positive relationship between social support and preventive health practices. No relationship was found between immunization status and parental knowledge of vaccine-preventable diseases. Assessment of social support can assist nurses in identifying children at risk for incomplete immunizations and in isolating potential reasons for the deficiency.