Perceptions of Digital Health Information Sources and their Influence on Vaccine Confidence Among Parents of Infants in Ireland

Abstract

Introduction: Parents are increasingly turning to digital media for vaccine information, but platforms vary in credibility and emotional tone. This study aimed to evaluate how digital media influences vaccine confidence in Ireland. The study objectives were to: (1) assess parental perceptions of digital health information sources and their impact on vaccine confidence using a Likert-scale questionnaire; (2) identify commonly used digital platforms and evaluate their perceived trustworthiness and influence; (3) explore perceived risks and concerns related to online vaccine information; and (4) determine how these findings can inform pharmaceutical companies' digital communication strategies Methods: This study involved a cross-sectional online survey of parents or caregivers of children aged 0–5 years in Ireland (N = 104). Items were rated on a 3-point Likert scale (Agree = 1, Neutral = 2, Disagree = 3). Analysis included: descriptive statistics; Spearman's rank correlations for ordinal data; χ²/fisher’s exact tests for associations; McNemar’s tests to compare platform use and trust levels; Kruskal– Wallis tests for education versus digital literacy. Significance level set at α = 0.05 Results: The analysis showed that official health websites (HSE/NHS) were the most used (92/102, 90.2%) and the most trusted (88/105, 83.8%). Google Search was widely used (50/102, 49%) but infrequently trusted (7/105, 66.9%); McNemar's test confirmed a significant gap between usage and trust (p < 0.001). Notable correlations included: use of official digital sources with reading vaccine stories (ρ = 0.273, p = 0.005) and perceiving that some online content benefits pharmaceutical companies (ρ = 0.222, p = 0.024); use of unofficial digital sources with reporting a decision not to vaccinate (ρ = -0.197, p = 0.045); exposure to opposing views with reporting that online information influenced vaccination decisions (ρ = 0.259, p = 0.009); perceptions that stories impact confidence with online information shaping decisions (ρ = 0.258, p = 0.009). Trust in official sites was linked to fewer reports of opting out of vaccination (χ²(1) = 15.75, p = 0.002), while trust in social media was associated with more refusals (Fisher p = 0.005). Education level was not significantly associated with digital literacy (H(3) = 6.85, p = 0.077). Conclusions & Recommendations: Irish parents distinguish clearly between digital sources, favoring official platforms and distrusting unofficial ones. Narrative content (opposing views and emotive stories) correlates with lower vaccine confidence, whereas trust in official sites aligns with higher confidence. The findings suggest that pairing credible information with emotionally engaging narratives and improving the visibility of official content online could enhance vaccination confidence, ultimately increasing vaccine uptake. It is recommended that pharmaceutical companies act as key communicators, supported by healthcare providers as the primary source of vaccine information.