Influenza vaccination during pregnancy: a qualitative study of the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices of general practitioners in Central and South-Western Sydney

BMC Family Practice

Research Article

Angela Dawson¹  Louise Maher²  Kerrie Wiley³  Glenda Lawrence⁴  Siranda Torvaldsen⁴  Stephen Conaty⁵  Kirsty Hope⁵ 

[1] Health Services and Practice Research Group, Faculty of Health, University of Technology, 15 Broadway, 2007, Ultimo, NSW, Australia;NSW Public Health Officer Training Program, NSW Ministry of Health, 73 Miller St, 2060, North Sydney, NSW, Australia;School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, High St, 2052, Kensington, NSW, Australia;National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, Locked bag 4001, 2145, Westmead, NSW, Australia;Discipline of Paediatrics & Child Health, The University of Sydney, 2006, NSW, Australia;School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, High St, 2052, Kensington, NSW, Australia;Sydney and South Western Sydney Local Health Districts Public Health Unit, PO Box 374, 1450, Camperdown, Sydney, Australia;

关键词: Influenza;    Vaccine;    Pregnancy;    General practitioners;    Recommendation;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2296-15-102

 received in 2013-05-28, accepted in 2014-05-08,  发布年份 2014

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundPregnant women have an increased risk of influenza complications. Influenza vaccination during pregnancy is safe and effective, however coverage in Australia is less than 40%. Pregnant women who receive a recommendation for influenza vaccination from a health care provider are more likely to receive it, however the perspectives of Australian general practitioners has not previously been reported. The aim of the study was to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices of general practitioners practicing in South-Western Sydney, Australia towards influenza vaccination during pregnancy.MethodsA qualitative descriptive study was conducted, with semi-structured interviews completed with seventeen general practitioners in October 2012. A thematic analysis was undertaken by four researchers, and transcripts were analysed using N-Vivo software according to agreed codes.ResultsOne-third of the general practitioners interviewed did not consider influenza during pregnancy to be a serious risk for the mother or the baby. The majority of the general practitioners were aware of the government recommendations for influenza vaccination during pregnancy, but few general practitioners were confident of their knowledge about the vaccine and most felt they needed more information. More than half the general practitioners had significant concerns about the safety of influenza vaccination during pregnancy. Their practices in the provision of the vaccine were related to their perception of risk of influenza during pregnancy and their confidence about the safety of the vaccine. While two-thirds reported that they are recommending influenza vaccination to their pregnant patients, many were adopting principles of patient-informed choice in their approach and encouraged women to decide for themselves whether they would receive the vaccine.ConclusionsGeneral practitioners have varied knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about influenza vaccination during pregnancy, which influence their practices. Addressing these could have a significant impact on improving vaccine uptake during pregnancy.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Maher et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2014