The evolution in the system data of a prototype scale for recording discomfort during childhood vaccination

[journal]

Full reference

Antonopoulos, S.; Poulopoulos, V.; Wallace, M., The evolution in the system data of a prototype scale for recording discomfort during childhood vaccination, The evolution in the system data of a prototype scale for recording discomfort during childhood vaccination

Abstract

Introduction: The vaccination of children is a vital strategy for safeguarding both individuals and the global population against numerous diseases and pathogens. However, the vaccination process is not always a pleasant experience for all children, with many enduring varying degrees of discomfort, sometimes reaching unbearable levels. In our previous work of this study, we introduce VACS, a tool designed to measure the level of discomfort children experience during vaccination. VACS evaluates the entire vaccination process from the child’s perspective, beginning from the moment they enter the doctor’s office until they leave, and considers a wide range of discomfort indicators, including moaning, crying, facial expressions, and posture.

Aim: The purpose of this study is to expand our findings to a larger sample of children within the same age groups in order to strengthen them.

Materials and Methods: To objectively measure children's discomfort during vaccination, observations are based on doctors' assessments. The process is divided into four stages: Entrance, Examination, Procedure, and Completion. Various distress indicators are recorded at each stage, and weights are assigned to these parameters to calculate an overall discomfort score. The tool assigns a numerical value to the discomfort, ranging from 0 to 25, where zero indicates a smooth vaccination experience and 25 denotes extreme discomfort. We applied VACS to assess 40 vaccinations in children aged 2 to 12 and we presented our first results.

Results: The study included participants with a mean age of 7.3 years. The gender distribution was nearly equal. The updated findings reveal that 237 children (84.6%) have completed their full vaccination schedule. Using the VACS framework, the average discomfort score (SCORE) observed across all vaccinations was 6.74, with a standard deviation of 6.46, while the 57% exhibited varying levels of discomfort. The score distribution indicates that younger children, particularly those aged 2-3, generally experienced higher discomfort levels, with an average score of 9.16. Crying and supportability during several stages were significant predictors of the overall discomfort experienced by the children.

Conclusions: Further research is needed to confirm this observation with greater certainty. The development of VACS paves the way for more systematic efforts to reduce vaccination discomfort in children.