Keywords

Tonga, Vaccination, Utah, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) Population, Immunization

Abstract

Introduction: Salt Lake County, home to the largest Tongan population in the United States, has seen low vaccination uptake within this community. Tongan culture has a deep sense of community, respect for authority figures, and emphasis on family health decisions. Given these cultural aspects, this quality improvement project sought to implement vaccine education for Tongan parents and evaluate cultural appropriateness.

Methods: This project was conducted with the assistance of personnel from the Utah Pacific Islander Health Coalition in Salt Lake City, Utah. Data were collected using the Vaccine-Related Attitudes and Beliefs Measure before and after education. A video from the American Academy of Pediatrics was shown on adolescent vaccines. Questions on the cultural appropriateness of the video were also evaluated.

Results: The survey results showed improvement in vaccine attitudes toward vaccine benefits, a decrease in concerns about vaccine risks, and an increase in attitudes of self-efficacy in vaccine decision making. Participants shared that the education was beneficial but could be improved by being in the Tongan language and having Tongan representation in the educational video.

Discussion: Evidence-based education can improve attitudes toward vaccines in the Tongan community. Future initiatives should consider developing educational materials in the Tongan language and collaborating with Tongan leaders to engage this population further and improve vaccination rates. A larger sample size would be appropriate to confirm project results.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2025-08-05

Language

English

College

Nursing

Department

Nursing

University Standing at Time of Publication

Graduate Student

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