Parents' acceptance attitudes towards the vaccination of children based on M-LSGDM approach in China: a cross-sectional study

Objectives Ensuring that children receive timely vaccinations is paramount for preventing infectious diseases, and parental attitude plays a pivotal role in this process. This study addresses this gap in the existing literature by examining parental attitudes towards vaccinating their children. Design A cross-sectional study. Methods An online survey including parents' sociodemographic characteristics, risk perception and attitudes towards child vaccination towards COVID-19 was conducted. The modified large-scale group decision-making approach for practicality and binary logistic regression was used to identify the predictors influencing parents' decision-making. Results Of the 1292 parents participated, 957 (74.1%) were willing to vaccinate their children, while 335 (25.9%) refused the vaccination. The study indicated that age, parental anxiety regarding child vaccination, concerns about the child's susceptibility to the disease, opinions towards vaccination benefits versus disadvantages, place of residence, average family income and children's health were significant predictors (p<0.05). Conclusions While most parents supported childhood vaccination, some opposed it. Addressing persistent barriers is crucial to ensure widespread vaccination and child well-being.