Vaccine Hesitancy in the Autism Spectrum Disorder Context: Parental Vaccine Decision-Making and Coping with Stress Strategies

TL;DR

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder are more likely to be hesitant about vaccines, and this hesitancy is linked to their coping strategies for stress.

Contribution

This study identifies higher vaccine hesitancy among parents of children with ASD and links it to specific stress coping mechanisms.

Findings

Parents of children with ASD had 2.66 times higher odds of high vaccine hesitancy compared to others.

A weak but significant correlation was found between vaccine hesitancy and the use of restraint coping style.

Younger siblings of children with ASD were less likely to receive routine vaccines.

Abstract

Despite no scientific evidence linking vaccines to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), vaccine hesitancy persists among parents of children with ASD. This study aims to compare vaccine hesitancy and behaviors among parents of children with ASD, other Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDD), and without NDD, and to examine the relationship between stress coping mechanisms and vaccine hesitancy, including comparing coping mechanisms between diagnostic groups as well as their association with hesitancy.

In this cross-sectional study, one parent of each child with ASD, non-ASD NDD, or without NDD was included. Data were collected using a researcher-created form, the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale in Turkish, and the Coping Style Scale Brief Form. Vaccine hesitancy, parents’ COVID-19 vaccination status, and vaccination status of children’s younger siblings were analyzed through univariate and multivariate analyses, with a focus on correlations between vaccine hesitancy and coping styles.

The study included one parent from each of 299 children. Parents of children with ASD showed an adjusted odds ratio of 2.66 (95% CI 1.35–5.06) for high vaccine hesitancy, 2.57 (95% CI 1.17–5.65) for not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, and 1.40 (95% CI 0.45–4.40) for younger siblings not receiving routine vaccines. A weak but significant correlation was observed between vaccine hesitancy and the use of restraint coping style among these parents (r = 0.280; p = 0.010).

The study underscores the importance of targeted educational efforts and personalized communication to address vaccine hesitancy among parents of children with ASD. Enhancing vaccination coverage in this community requires further research to develop interventions tailored to their specific needs.