PARENTAL KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, AND PRACTICES REGARDING CHILDHOOD VACCINATION: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Vaccination is one of the most effective public health interventions, yet vaccine hesitancy continues to threaten high childhood immunization coverage. Parental attitudes, knowledge, and information sources play a critical role in shaping vaccination decisions, influencing both individual and community protection. A cross-sectional study was conducted between October and December 2024, including 120 parents of children covered by the national vaccination schedule. Data were collected via a self-administered25-item questionnaire distributed through Google Forms, assessing demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and sources of vaccination-related information. Associations between participant characteristics and vaccination attitudes, knowledge, and compliance were analyzed using chi-square tests. Among participants, 95% reported compliance with the mandatory vaccination schedule, and 84.2% expressed a positive attitude toward childhood vaccination. The majority recognized vaccination as primarily benefiting the child (75%) and providing protection against severe disease (72.5%). Healthcare professionals were the main source of vaccination information (71.7%), while media and social networks were less frequently used. Awareness of the anti-vaccination movement was reported by 58.3%, and 43.3% of participants expressed trust in available vaccine information. Compliance was significantly associated with marital status and number of children, while knowledge correlated with educational level. Younger parents and urban residents relied more on media sources, whereas older and rural parents primarily consulted healthcare professionals. The findings indicate that parents in the studied region demonstrate positive attitudes toward childhood vaccination, with high compliance and a strong reliance on healthcare professionals as sources of information. Vaccine hesitancy persists in a minority, often influenced by misinformation and uncertainty. Targeted, prevention-oriented interventions focusing on health communication and support from healthcare professionals are essential to sustain high vaccination coverage and protect children and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases.Keywords: child health, childhood vaccination, health communication, public health, vaccine hesitancy.