Analysis on knowledge awareness and willingness of childhood 13-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine immunization and influencing factors in parents of children in Bao’an district, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 2024

Objective To understand the level of knowledge awareness of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection and willingness of childhood 13-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine (PCV13) immunization in parents of children in Bao'an district of Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with electronic questionnaire in parents of children in Bao'an district in September 2024. Software SPSS 25.0 was used for descriptive analysis on their basic sociodemographic characteristics and awareness of PCV13, and χ² test and multivariable logistic regression model were used to analyze the influencing factors of different vaccination intentions and the knowledge awareness.

Results A total of 1219 valid questionnaires were collected in this survey, with an overall awareness rate (score ≥6) of PCV13-related knowledge of 44.95% (548/1219), and 60.29% (735/1219) of parents were willing to have their children to be immunized with PCV13. The results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that parents with higher education levels and annual household incomes had higher knowledge awareness of pneumonia and PCV13（all P<0.05）. Class I medical insurance in Shenzhen, having bachelor's degree or above in education, and having more than 1 child were positively associated with the willingness to have their children to be immunized with PCV13（all P<0.05）. Parents obtained relevant information mainly from common sources, but they were more likely to trust hospital promotion/doctor recommendations. The information that they mostly want to know was the safety of PCV13, accounting for 88.60% (1080/1219).

Conclusion The overall awareness rate of PCV13 related knowledge in parents of children in Bao'an district was relatively low, but their willingness to have their children to be vaccinated was relatively high. It is necessary to conduct health education about PCV13 in child parents to improve the vaccination rate of PCV13 in infants and young children and reduce the disease burden of streptococcal pneumonia.