Table 4 Summary of eight studies addressing factors associated with vaccination decision making in anthroposophic communities
Mollema L, Wijers N, Hahné SJ, van der Klis FR, Boshuizen HC, de Melker HE. Participation in and attitude towards the national immunization program in the Netherlands: data from population-based questionnaires. BMC public health. 2012 Dec;12(1):1–3 | The Netherlands | 2013 | The aim of this study was to measure vaccination coverage for MMR vaccines among children attending anthroposophical schools and gain more insight on attitudes towards childhood vaccination of parents with children attending anthroposophical schools | Quantitative (n = 458) | Parents of children attending anthroposophic schools |
Byström E, Lindstrand A, Likhite N, Butler R, Emmelin M. Parental attitudes and decision-making regarding MMR vaccination in an anthroposophic community in Sweden–a qualitative study. Vaccine. 2014 Nov 28;32(50):6752–7 | Sweden | 2014 | To explore facilitators and barriers to MMR vaccination among parents living in anthroposophic communities in Sweden | Qualitative: 19 semi-structured interviews | Parents in an anthroposophic community |
Duffell E. Attitudes of parents towards measles and immunisation after a measles outbreak in an anthroposophical community. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. 2001 Sep 1;55(9):685–6 | UK | 2001 | To explore attitudes of parents towards measles and immunisation after a measles outbreak in an anthroposophical community | Quantitative: Survey n = 126 | Parents in an anthroposophical community in Gloucestershire |
Harmsen IA, Ruiter RA, Paulussen TG, Mollema L, Kok G, de Melker HE. Factors that influence vaccination decision-making by parents who visit an anthroposophical child welfare center: a focus group study. Advances in preventive medicine. 2012 Jan 1;2012 | The Netherlands | 2012 | To explore the beliefs underlying their childhood vaccination decision-making | Qualitative, 3 Focus Group Discussion (n = 16) | Parents who Visit an Anthroposophical Child Welfare Center |
Mittring-Junghans N, Holmberg C, Witt CM, Teut M. Thoughts, beliefs and concepts concerning infectious childhood diseases of physicians practicing homeopathic, anthroposophic and conventional medicine–a qualitative study. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies. 2021 Dec;21(1):1–9 | Germany | 2021 | To investigate the concepts and beliefs toward infectious childhood diseases among physicians practicing conventional, homeopathy and anthroposophic medicine | Qualitative, In-depth interviews (6 homeopathic, 6 anthroposophic and 6 conventional) | Health providers |
Mollema L, Staal JM, van Steenbergen JE, Paulussen TG, de Melker HE. An exploratory qualitative assessment of factors influencing childhood vaccine providers' intention to recommend immunization in the Netherlands. BMC Public Health. 2012 Dec;12(1):1–0 | Netherlands | 2012 | To examine factors related to providers’ intentions to recommend vaccinations to parents of young children | Qualitative, 4 Focus group discussions, only 1 dicussion with providers at an anthroposophic welfare centre | Health providers |
Sobo, E.J., 2015. Social cultivation of vaccine refusal and delay among Waldorf (Steiner) school parents. Medical anthropology quarterly, 29(3), pp.381–399 | USA | 2015 | To help explain this PBE rate and inform interventions | Qualitative, 2 focus groups and conducted six formative and 18 cognitive interviews, Survey of vaccine preferences (n = 36) | Parents at a Waldorf School |
Deml MJ, Notter J, Kliem P, Buhl A, Huber BM, Pfeiffer C, Burton-Jeangros C, Tarr PE. “We treat humans, not herds!”: A qualitative study of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers’ individualized approaches to vaccination in Switzerland. Social Science & Medicine. 2019 Nov 1;240:112,556 | Switzerland | 2019 | Our study aims at understanding CAM providers' roles in VH and asks the following questions: (1) how do CAM providers describe their perspectives and roles regarding vaccination?; (2) in what ways, if any, do CAM providers’ views and practices diverge from biomedical and public health vaccination discourses?; and (3) how do CAM providers and parents discuss vaccination during consultations? | Qualitative, 17 interviews (7 anthroposophic providers) and observed during vaccination consultations (N = 18 observations with 5 providers) employed individualized approaches to vaccination | Alternative/Complementary Anthroposophic health providers |