A Scoping Review on Childhood Immunization Reminder Strategies Available to Parents in North America
Abstract
Objective: The scoping review protocol will be used to map out the immunization reminder strategies for parents’ literature to identify the effectiveness of these approaches in improving childhood vaccination uptake.
Introduction: Vaccine-preventable diseases continue to cause morbidity and mortality despite the introduction of childhood immunizations1,2, with recent media alerts showing a surge of common childhood vaccine-preventable illnesses like measles3. Parents can play a pivotal role in ensuring their children receive vaccinations when due4,5,6. However, effective immunization reminders could assist parents who forget or miss the immunization schedules for their children.
Inclusion criteria: The review will include studies conducted between 2004 and 2024 in North America that focus on immunization reminders for parents with children under 6 years. Parents of only adolescents will be excluded.
Methods: The data for the review will be searched from databases such as CINAHL, Medline, and Embase between May 20th, 2024, and August 20th, 2024. Hand-searching of journals and gray literature will be carried out. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies published in English will be eligible for selection if they meet the inclusion criteria. The studies selected for review will then be summarized on a PRISMA chart. A data-extraction form will be used to collate authorship information and publication date, methods, findings, and key arguments with key themes later analyzed using thematic analysis.
Notes
References:
1. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024a, July 21). Measles symptoms and complications. https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html#:~:text=Pneumonia.,(swelling%20of%20the%20brain)
2. United Nations Children’s Fund. (2024, July 18). Childhood diseases. https://www.unicef.org/health/childhood-diseases
3. Canada Broadcasting Cooperation. (2024b, July 24). Health experts warn vaccine-preventable illness could rise in Alberta. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/health-experts-vaccine-preventable-illnesses-alberta-1.6581279
4. Majid, U., & Ahmad, M. (2020). The factors that promote vaccine hesitancy, rejection, or delay in parents. Qualitative Health Research, 30(11), 1762–1776. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732320933863
5. Novilla, M. L. B., Goates, M. C., Redelfs, A. H., Quenzer, M., Novilla, L. K. B., Leffler, T., Holt, C. A., Doria, R. B., Dang, M. T., & Hewitt, M. (2023). Why parents say no to having their children vaccinated against measles: A systematic review of the social determinants of parental perceptions on measles mumps rubella vaccine hesitancy. Vaccines, 11(5), 926. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11050926
6. Pan, F., Zhao, H., Nicholas, S., Maitland, E., Liu, R., & Hou, Q. (2021). Parents’ decisions to vaccinate children against COVID-19: A scoping review. Vaccines, 9(12), 1476. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34960221/
Sigma Membership
Chi Nu
Type
Poster
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Public and Community Health, Immunizations, Reminders, Text Messages, North America
Recommended Citation
Anim-Larbi, Matilda; Puplampu, Vivian; Maposa, Sithokozile; Mahani, Akram; and Chipanshi, Mary, "A Scoping Review on Childhood Immunization Reminder Strategies Available to Parents in North America" (2025). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 138.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2025/posters_2025/138
Conference Name
36th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
A Scoping Review on Childhood Immunization Reminder Strategies Available to Parents in North America
Seattle, Washington, USA
Objective: The scoping review protocol will be used to map out the immunization reminder strategies for parents’ literature to identify the effectiveness of these approaches in improving childhood vaccination uptake.
Introduction: Vaccine-preventable diseases continue to cause morbidity and mortality despite the introduction of childhood immunizations1,2, with recent media alerts showing a surge of common childhood vaccine-preventable illnesses like measles3. Parents can play a pivotal role in ensuring their children receive vaccinations when due4,5,6. However, effective immunization reminders could assist parents who forget or miss the immunization schedules for their children.
Inclusion criteria: The review will include studies conducted between 2004 and 2024 in North America that focus on immunization reminders for parents with children under 6 years. Parents of only adolescents will be excluded.
Methods: The data for the review will be searched from databases such as CINAHL, Medline, and Embase between May 20th, 2024, and August 20th, 2024. Hand-searching of journals and gray literature will be carried out. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies published in English will be eligible for selection if they meet the inclusion criteria. The studies selected for review will then be summarized on a PRISMA chart. A data-extraction form will be used to collate authorship information and publication date, methods, findings, and key arguments with key themes later analyzed using thematic analysis.
Description
The findings will add knowledge to the existing literature about the preferred reminders for Black Canadian parents. Additionally, the findings will be used to make recommendations for public health nursing practice and health policy for childhood measles immunization.