Assessment of pregnant women's satisfaction with prenatal care and their attitudes about childhood vaccines

Background and Aim: Antenatal care is critical for a healthy pregnancy and satisfaction with these services may influence pregnant women's health behaviors. Furthermore, mothers' attitudes towards childhood vaccines are one of the most important factors determining the infant immunization rates and thus community immunity. This study was conducted to assess the pregnant womens' level of satisfaction with prenatal care and their attitudes about childhood vaccines. Materials and Methods: Our cross-sectional study included 146 literate pregnant women who applied to Çukurova University Çarkıpare Training Family Health Centre between 1 May 2024 and 31 July 2024. The data was collected using Sociodemographic Data Questionnaire, Prenatal Care Satisfaction Scale (PCSS) and Vaccination Attitudes Scale (VAS). Results: The mean age of pregnant women was 29,4±4,1 (median: 29) years, 98,6% of the participants were married, 68,5% were university graduates, 64,4% had a university graduate husband, 45,2% had a job, 97,3% had a working husband, 50,7% had more than one pregnancy. The mean score of PCSS was 82,9±15,4. There was no significant relationship between the PCSS score and age, educational status of the pregnant women, education and employment status of her husband and monthly income level. The mean total score, art of care, technical quality, accessibility, and physical environment subscale scores of PCSS were significantly lower in participants with two or more pregnancies than those with the first pregnancy (p=0,014; p=0,041; p=0,032; p=0,004; p=0,009, respectively). The mean scores of the accessibility subscale were significantly higher in those whose husbands with higher educational status than those lower educational status (p=0,017). The mean VAS score of the pregnant women was 17,4±3,8. There was a weak negative (inverse) relationship between the age of the pregnant women and the total score, efficacy and safety subscale and confidence subscale scores of the Vaccine Attitude Scale (r=-0,238; r=-0,252; r=-0,163, respectively). A weak negative (inverse) relationship was found between the total number of pregnancies and the Accessibility, Vaccination attitude total score, Benefits of vaccination and Confidence scale scores (r=-0,182; r=-0,194; r=-0,227; r=-0,247, respectively). The total score, efficacy and safety subscale scores and trust subscale scores of pregnant women with a job were significantly lower than those without a job (p=0,035; p=0,044; p=0,048, respectively). The mean scores of Efficacy and Safety subscales of pregnant women with lower educational status were higher than those with higher educational status (p=0,004). The mean scores of the Efficacy and Safety subscales were significanly higher in pregnant women with lower income compared to those with higher income (p=0,003). The subscale scores of the Awareness of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases of pregnant women who read/researched about childhood vaccines during pregnancy were significantly lower than those who did not (p=0,005). No direct significant relationship was found between prenatal care satisfaction and childhood vaccination attitudes of pregnant women. Conclusion: Pregnancy is an important opportunity to improve the decision about vaccination. Within the scope of prenatal care services, where efforts are carried out to reduce maternal and infant mortality and morbidity and to improve health, mothers should be informed about the childhood by health care professionals personally or by directing them to the right sources of information.