Trust in medical staff and professional information sources as predictors of parental attitudes towards vaccination: a preliminary single-center study in Krakow

Introduction
Declining vaccination rates and increasing hesitancy are a worldwide concern.

Material and methods
The aim of our preliminary study conducted among parents (N = 136) of healthy children born at term without chronic diseases was to assess the relationship between the degree of trust in medical staff and professional information sources (available in books as well as online professional services) and parental attitudes towards vaccination. Parents’ attitudes towards vaccinations were exa­mined using a self-constructed scale (Cronbach’s α = 0.87).

Results
Multiple regression analysis, after taking into account all the examined sources of information about vaccinations, showed that the greatest positive determinants of parents’ attitudes were trust in medical staff (b = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.27-0.61) and trust in professional medical Internet sources (b = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.12-0.48). Parental trust in other sources of information did not affect their attitudes towards vaccinations. After taking into account all other confounding factors, the results remained the same.

Conclusions
Our study supports the idea of incorporating new strategies to address parental concerns about vaccinations and enhance communication between parents and healthcare providers. These efforts should focus on building trust in medical institutions and staff, ultimately leading to better adherence to vaccination schedules.