Mum's the word: factors that influenced young adults' participation in the New Zealand Meningococcal B immunisation programme.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the factors that influenced young adults (aged 16-19 years) when deciding whether or not to be immunised during the MeNZB campaign.


METHODS
Semi-structured interviews were held with 11 young adults (7 who consented to the Meningococcal B immunisation and 4 who did not) to explore their immunisation decision. A qualitative descriptive data analysis was then undertaken to reveal the latent and manifest themes arising from the interviews.


RESULTS
Similar influences on the decision-making process were described by all the young adults, regardless of the outcome. These included weighing up the risks involved, and making collaborative decisions with their families, especially their mothers. Situating the decision in a personal context required the young adults to consider factors such as needle-phobia, herd immunity, and the accessibility of the immunisation.


CONCLUSIONS
The information used in immunisation campaigns involving young adults must be carefully balanced so that the situation becomes real to the target group, while also helping inform others, especially parents, who will be involved in the decision-making process.
School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, Science and Technology, UCOL, Private Bag 11022, Palmerston North, New Zealand. m.bland@ucol.ac.nz
Marian
M
Bland
Geraldine M
GM
Clear
Adrianna
A
Grogan
Kath
K
Hoare
Jan
J
Waldock
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008297:Male; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D038541:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D009520:New Zealand; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines