Risk Communication and Vaccination Decision-Making by Recent Immigrant Mothers

• Author / Creator

  Kowal, Stephanie P

• I investigated how recent immigrant mothers access and use current vaccine risk communication in their immunization decisions for themselves and their children. To complete this research, I engaged in a community-driven participatory research partnership with the Multi-Cultural Health Brokers Cooperative, a local health service provider. I analyzed vaccine information access and use in two contexts: 1) qualitative interviews with mothers from Bhutanese refugee (n=5), Chinese (n=10), and South Asian (n=8) communities about their experiences with vaccination decision-making during pregnancy and after childbirth; and 2) an interview with representatives from the Multi-Cultural Health Brokers about their organizational perspectives on the topic as a vaccine information and health service provider for new-immigrant women. The findings present how women in the three communities currently access and use vaccine information in their immunization decision-making processes. Furthermore, I discuss lessons learned of impacts that participatory research can have on the outcomes of qualitative inquiry.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Community Driven Participatory Research
  • Information Gathering
  • Decision-Making
  • Risk Communication
  • Community-based participatory research
  • Vaccine Information
  • Qualitative
  • Immigrant Health
  • Immunization

• Graduation date

  Spring 2014

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3TX35D25

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.