Abstract
BACKGROUND: Vaccination is a simple and effective preventative measure against infections and diseases among populations, especially children. This study aimed to evaluate parental/guardians' satisfaction with vaccination services and examine its associated factors in China. METHODS: This study used mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative research methods. Stratified sampling method was used to recruit parents/guardians of children aged 0-6 years from 21 vaccination clinics in Kunshan, Eastern China in 2023. Quantitative data were collected via an online questionnaire. Logistic regression and structural equation model were used to examine factors associated with the satisfaction. Moreover, focus group discussion was performed to gain an in-depth understanding for satisfaction. RESULTS: The overall satisfaction rate was 92.9% (95% CI: 92.5%, 93.2%) among 1083 parents/guardians. Specifically, 92.1%, 93.2%, 93.2%, and 96.2% of the parents/guardians were satisfied/agreed or very satisfied/agreed with environment of vaccination and convenience, pre-vaccination preparation, upon and post-vaccination service, and attitudes towards vaccination, respectively. Structural equation model analysis showed that the fitting effect was acceptable (χ(2)/df = 2.854, Goodness of Fit Index (GFI) = 0.916, Root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.065). The most satisfactory components were pre-vaccination preparation, upon and post-vaccination service. Moreover, educational attainment and place of residence were significantly associated with the satisfaction with vaccination service. CONCLUSIONS: The satisfaction rate of the parents/guardians with vaccination service provided for their children was high. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that vaccination clinics could further improve the quality of service by upgrading the vaccination environment, reducing waiting time, optimizing appointment mechanism, and making convenience and accessibility of the vaccination.