Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Negative experiences with immunizations in childhood have been related to the development of needle fears that continue into adulthood and can contribute to avoiding the use of the health care system. No research has examined whether negative experiences during immunizations in the first year of life (the period in which most Canadians receive the greatest amount of immunizations) play a role in setting the stage for the development of needle fears. The proposed study will invite parents and children who have already been videotaped during routine immunizations at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months of age to again be videotaped at the routine immunization that takes place at preschool. These videotapes will be coded for child needle fear behaviours as well as child pain behaviours. Children and parents will also be asked to provide a verbal report of the child's fear of needles. This study will help us to better understand how negative experiences during immunizations in the first year of life can influence a child's development of needle fears. This research has implications for interventions and best practices used by parents during immunizations. Findings from this research will help us to implement strategies to better soothe the child during immunizations, reduce the development of needle fears, and ensure greater Canadian use of the health care system.