文本框: PARENTAL ANXIETY DURING INFANT IMMUNIZATION Langley JM, Halperin, SA, Smith, B Clinical Trials Research Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada Objective: Vaccine acceptability varies according to multiple factors. We sought to determine if parent anxiety at the time of an immunization visit was associated with demographic variables or past experience. Methods: Parents of children at their first enrolment visit for a vaccine trial were asked to enrol in a study of parental concerns about immunization. The children were two month old infants entering a randomized controlled clinical trial (RCT) of a diptheria-tetanus toxoid-acellular pertussis vaccine adsorbed with Haemophilus influenzae B conjugate or toddlers enrolling in a RCT of a Meningococcal C conjugate vaccine. Nurses interviewed parents to collect demographic data(hours employed outside home, participant gender and birth order, parent age and education, use of out-of-home care, previous experience with research or previous serious illness in family) and parents self-administered the Spielberger Self-evaluation Questionnaire (State Anxiety STAI-Y-I) (Spielberger CD, 1973), a validated instrument measuring the temporary condition of state anxiety. Categorical and regression tree analysis (CART) (S-Plus) was used to identify factors associated with higher anxiety scores. Results: 97 parent sets enrolled. Median maternal age was 29, paternal was 32. 96% of families had two parents. Anxiety scores ranged from 22.75 (low anxiety) to 36.43. CART identified a structured tree with six branches. The highest anxiety scores occurred in fathers with education < grade 8, mothers with education < high school, birth order of the child< third, previous serious illness in the family, or lack of experience with research. Conclusions: In a group of urban parents agreeing to enrol their infant or toddler in a vaccine study, certain attributes and experiences were associated with higher anxiety at the time of immunization in the context of a RCT. These factors may affect parental willingness to participate in research or immunize their child with new vaccines. 1952