title: Knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of pregnant women approached to participate in a Tdap maternal immunization randomized, controlled trial.
abstract: Immunization with pertussis vaccine during pregnancy is recommended in a number of countries to prevent newborn deaths from whooping cough. In some jurisdictions, vaccine uptake during pregnancy is low. We undertook a survey of the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of pregnant women who had been approached to participate in a randomized, controlled trial of tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine during pregnancy. A total of 346 women completed the survey. Knowledge about pertussis and pertussis vaccine was generally low; the mean number of correct answers was 10.65 out of 19 questions. Attitudes toward maternal immunization were generally favorable; 51.7%-94.7% of women had positive responses to 10 attitudinal statements. Substantial uncertainty was shown in responses to a number of the attitudinal statements related to vaccination during pregnancy; 22.3%-45.7% neither agreed nor disagreed with the statements. Importantly, 89% of women reported that they would get immunized with pertussis vaccine during pregnancy if their physician recommended it. We conclude that a national recommendation to be immunized with pertussis vaccine during pregnancy supported by their physicians' recommendation would be well received by Canadian women.
authors.affiliation: a Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, and Nova Scotia Health Authority , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.|b School of Nursing, St. Francis Xavier University , Antigonish , Nova Scotia , Canada.
authors.forename: Donna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: MacDougall
authors.affiliation: a Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, and Nova Scotia Health Authority , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.|c School of Nursing, Dalhousie University , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.|d Department of Pediatrics , Dalhousie University , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.
authors.forename: Beth A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Halperin
authors.affiliation: a Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, and Nova Scotia Health Authority , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.|d Department of Pediatrics , Dalhousie University , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.|e Department of Community Health and Epidemiology , Dalhousie University , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.
authors.forename: Joanne M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Langley
authors.affiliation: a Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, and Nova Scotia Health Authority , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.|f Department of Medicine , Dalhousie University , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.
authors.forename: Shelly A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: McNeil
authors.affiliation: a Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, and Nova Scotia Health Authority , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: MacKinnon-Cameron
authors.affiliation: a Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, and Nova Scotia Health Authority , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: a Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, IWK Health Centre, and Nova Scotia Health Authority , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.|d Department of Pediatrics , Dalhousie University , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.|g Department of Microbiology & Immunology , Dalhousie University , Halifax , Nova Scotia , Canada.
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Halperin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D004165:Diphtheria / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022681:Diphtheria-Tetanus-acellular Pertussis Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013742:Tetanus / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014917:Whooping Cough / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D022681:Diphtheria-Tetanus-acellular Pertussis Vaccines
keywords: knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors; maternal immunization; pertussis; pertussis vaccine; survey