“Vaccine hesitation” is a broad term that refers to a diverse group of parents who vaccinate their children yet question the vaccine’s necessity and safety. Despite the advantages of vaccinations, parental vaccine reluctance is increasing. The health locus of control (HLOC) may influence vaccination decisions for children. For a study, the researchers examined the link between parents’ HLOC and their children’s compliance with normal childhood immunization regimens. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken of 731 parents of children aged 3–4. Internal HLOC, powerful others and chance HLOC (dimensions of external HLOC), information source dependability, and vaccination attitudes were also assessed. A path analysis was performed to investigate the direct and indirect relationships between HLOC and vaccine compliance.
The findings indicated that High strong Other HLOC has a direct relationship with vaccine compliance (ß=0.23, P<0.001). Parents’ opinions about immunizations showed an indirect relationship with high internal and chance HLOC. Noncompliance with immunizations was connected with the perceived dependability of information sources (ß=-0.07, P<0.05).
In conclusion, the interaction of internal and external HLOC might explain vaccine compliance. Reduced levels of chance HLOC and increased levels of powerful others HLOC might promote compliance with childhood immunizations.
Reference:www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21645515.2018.1471305
