Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy: Validating the PACV Survey for Croatian Parents

<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Vaccine hesitancy, recognized by the WHO as a significant global health threat, undermines vaccination efforts. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) Survey for Croatian parents to understand vaccine hesi...

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Main Authors: Ana Ćurković, Antonela Matana
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Infectious Disease Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7449/17/1/3
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author Ana Ćurković
Antonela Matana
author_facet Ana Ćurković
Antonela Matana
author_sort Ana Ćurković
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background/Objectives:</b> Vaccine hesitancy, recognized by the WHO as a significant global health threat, undermines vaccination efforts. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) Survey for Croatian parents to understand vaccine hesitancy better. <b>Methods:</b> A cross-sectional study with 1814 Croatian parents was conducted using the PACV survey, translated using a double-back translation method. The psychometrics of the questionnaire were examined, including content validity, dimensionality, construct validity, discriminant validity, and reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) assessed the original model’s validity, but the original model fit poorly, prompting exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify latent factors. Reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega. <b>Results:</b> EFA identified a five-factor model with factors labeled “Safety”, “Schedule”, “Attitudes”, “Behavior”, and “Trust”. Subsequent CFA confirmed this model with acceptable to good fit indices. Discriminant validity was also confirmed. Reliability analyses indicated high internal consistency, with total Cronbach’s alpha at 0.926 and McDonald’s omega at 0.931. <b>Conclusions:</b> The adapted PACV is a valid and reliable tool for identifying vaccine hesitancy among Croatian parents. This study revealed high vaccine hesitancy among Croatian parents, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions.
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spelling doaj-art-87446fec5e4e412193d0bed7cfb516bf2025-08-20T03:12:05ZengMDPI AGInfectious Disease Reports2036-74492025-01-01171310.3390/idr17010003Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy: Validating the PACV Survey for Croatian ParentsAna Ćurković0Antonela Matana1University Department of Health Studies, University of Split, Ruđera Boškovića 35, 21000 Split, CroatiaUniversity Department of Health Studies, University of Split, Ruđera Boškovića 35, 21000 Split, Croatia<b>Background/Objectives:</b> Vaccine hesitancy, recognized by the WHO as a significant global health threat, undermines vaccination efforts. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) Survey for Croatian parents to understand vaccine hesitancy better. <b>Methods:</b> A cross-sectional study with 1814 Croatian parents was conducted using the PACV survey, translated using a double-back translation method. The psychometrics of the questionnaire were examined, including content validity, dimensionality, construct validity, discriminant validity, and reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) assessed the original model’s validity, but the original model fit poorly, prompting exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to identify latent factors. Reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s omega. <b>Results:</b> EFA identified a five-factor model with factors labeled “Safety”, “Schedule”, “Attitudes”, “Behavior”, and “Trust”. Subsequent CFA confirmed this model with acceptable to good fit indices. Discriminant validity was also confirmed. Reliability analyses indicated high internal consistency, with total Cronbach’s alpha at 0.926 and McDonald’s omega at 0.931. <b>Conclusions:</b> The adapted PACV is a valid and reliable tool for identifying vaccine hesitancy among Croatian parents. This study revealed high vaccine hesitancy among Croatian parents, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions.https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7449/17/1/3vaccine hesitancyparent attitudes about childhood vaccines (PACV)Croatiavalidation
spellingShingle Ana Ćurković
Antonela Matana
Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy: Validating the PACV Survey for Croatian Parents
Infectious Disease Reports
vaccine hesitancy
parent attitudes about childhood vaccines (PACV)
Croatia
validation
title Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy: Validating the PACV Survey for Croatian Parents
title_full Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy: Validating the PACV Survey for Croatian Parents
title_fullStr Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy: Validating the PACV Survey for Croatian Parents
title_full_unstemmed Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy: Validating the PACV Survey for Croatian Parents
title_short Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy: Validating the PACV Survey for Croatian Parents
title_sort addressing vaccine hesitancy validating the pacv survey for croatian parents
topic vaccine hesitancy
parent attitudes about childhood vaccines (PACV)
Croatia
validation
url https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7449/17/1/3
work_keys_str_mv AT anacurkovic addressingvaccinehesitancyvalidatingthepacvsurveyforcroatianparents
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