The Roles of Acculturation and Pre-migration Experiences in Influencing the Confidence of Vietnamese Parents in Vaccine Use Among Adolescents

Nhat Ha T. Pham, Milkie Vu*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Vaccine confidence is a critical antecedent of vaccine uptake. Little research has examined vaccine confidence among Asian communities, particularly the associations with acculturation and pre-migration experiences. We explored this issue among U.S. Vietnamese parents. Our study uses an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design to investigate the influence of American acculturation, Vietnamese acculturation, and pre-migration experiences on U.S. Vietnamese parents’ vaccine confidence for their adolescents. A cross-sectional web-based survey (n = 408) was followed by semi-structured interviews (n = 32). Quantitative analysis showed that many participants reported high or complete trust in scientists involved in vaccine development (61%), federal agencies responsible for vaccine safety monitoring and licensure (53%), the CDC (62%), and the FDA (58%). High or complete trust in scientists was associated with a higher Vietnamese acculturation score [aRR = 1.20 (1.03–1.40)], while trust in federal government agencies was associated with English medical proficiency [aRR = 1.42 (1.15–1.76)]. Qualitative findings provided deeper insights, with many parents expressing trust in vaccine efficacy, safety, and the rigorous development and approval process. Pre-migration experiences in Vietnam had mixed influences on vaccine confidence. Some participants cited positive experiences with the national immunization program, while others were influenced by negative vaccine-related injury stories. Newer immigrants reported limited familiarity with U.S. health authorities. Language preferences (Vietnamese versus English) for vaccine information varied. Our study highlights the complex interplay of acculturation, cultural identity, language, and historical experiences in shaping vaccine confidence among U.S. Vietnamese parents and emphasizes the need to take these factors into account with tailored public health strategies.

Original languageEnglish (US)
JournalJournal of Community Health
DOIs
StateAccepted/In press - 2024

Funding

This work was supported by the American Psychological Foundation 2019 Visionary Grant and the American Association for Cancer Education 2019 Grant in Research, Education, Advocacy, and Direct Service (READS), the Grants-in-Aid program from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, the Professional Development Support Fund at Emory University, and the Healthcare Innovation Program Student-Initiated Project Grant at the Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance (CTSA). The Georgia CTSA was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number UL1TR002378. Our data collection received support from the Center for AIDS Research at Emory University (P30AI050409). Dr. Vu was supported by the National Cancer Institute (F31CA243220), a 2020\u20132021 PEO Scholar Award, and the 2020\u20132021 Student Fellowship in Patient Engagement from the Society of Public Health Education. Dr. Vu\u2019s effort was also supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Science (KL2TR001424; K12TR005104).

Keywords

  • Acculturation
  • Immigrants
  • Pre-migration
  • U.S. Vietnamese
  • Vaccine confidence

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Health(social science)
  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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