Abstract

Parent vaccine hesitancy (VH) and subsequent vaccine refusal for children has escalated in the U.S. over the past several years and is more common among parents with an autistic child compared to the general population (Zerbo et al., 2018). This is an important issue to address given that VH has led to a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases (DeStefano & Shimabukuro, 2019; Geoghegan, et al., 2020). Research shows that VH is affected by parent cultural background (Fombonne et al., 2020) and that minoritized groups are more likely to experience VH (48.1% in parents of color [POC] groups versus 22.9% in White groups; Chang & Kochel, 2020). VH trends are poorly understood in linguistically diverse households, such as those where Spanish is spoken. To better understand these trends, Spanish-speaking Latine caregivers of autistic and non-autistic children (N = 201) were asked to share their acculturation levels and attitudes toward both vaccination and autism. Chi-square tests revealed significant VH differences between caregivers with an autistic child versus caregivers who do not have an autistic child. Probit analysis was used to investigate the links between VH, childhood autism diagnosis, parent acculturation, and beliefs about vaccine toxicity. Regression analyses indicated that belief about vaccine toxicity and having a child with an autism diagnosis were independently, positively associated with VH. The Johnson Neyman procedure demonstrated that the interaction between an autism diagnosis and belief in vaccine toxicity did not impact VH. Low acculturation significantly moderated the relationship between diagnosis and VH, but high acculturation did not. Barriers to medically reliable services and information (i.e., lack of insurance coverage and reliance on social media for health information) were not significantly correlated with VH in our sample. VH is a multifaceted phenomenon that warrants ongoing research. When families are simultaneously navigating an autism diagnosis and grappling with language barriers, the availability of language-inclusive services assumes critical importance in influencing vaccine attitudes and beliefs. Understanding the interplay between an autism diagnosis and vaccine beliefs is crucial for developing educational strategies about autism to promote informed vaccination choices within Spanish-speaking Latine communities.

Degree

PhD

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Psychology

Rights

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