Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Role of Social Networks in Parents' Decision-Making about their Children's Vaccinations

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

Graduate student Emily K. Brunson (University of Washington), under the guidance of Dr. Bettina Shell-Duncan, will examine the role that social networks play when parents decide whether or not to vaccinate their children. In some parts of the United States, vaccination rates have fallen dramatically. This research is designed to determine the proximal causes of the decline. Brunson's own previous qualitative investigation revealed that parents vary in the extent to which they do research and what kind of research they do before making their decisions. Some parents may consult books or internet sites, while others may not; some parents may consult other people, and others may not. The current project is designed to look at whether egocentric (personal) networks predict parental decision making about both traditional childhood vaccinations and crisis response vaccinations such as that for H1N1. The research will be conducted in King County, Washington, one of the locales where vaccination rates have declined. Brunson will employ a quantitative survey to elicit parental social networks and to test how social networks influence the type of vaccination decisions parents make. Typically, social network analysis focuses almost exclusively on inter-personal connections. In contrast, Brunson has developed an innovative approach that combines person-to-person network connections with person-to-non-human-information source connections in a single network analytic. The research is timely and important. When vaccination rates fall below 80 percent, vaccination may become less effective even for those who are vaccinated. Thus understanding how parents reach decisions about vaccinating children has important public health policy implications particularly at a time when the threat of global pandemics, such as H1N1, is increasing. The research also will contribute to the development of social network theory by examining the role of multi-sourced social networks in knowledge transmission and decision-making. Finally, funding this research supports the education of a social scientist.