Knowledge and Attitude of Mothers on the Importance of Immunization in Prevention of Childhood Diseases in Agbado Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State
Chapter One
Objectives of study
Main Objective
To assess the influence of mother’s knowledge and attitude towards routine immunization routine of children.
Specific objectives
- To measure mother’s knowledge on the importance of immunization in prevention of childhood diseases in Ogun
- To determine the different attitudes and beliefs of Ogun women on the importance of immunization in prevention of childhood diseases.
- To measure the influence of low immunization coverage on the upsurge of tropical infectious diseases among children in Ogun State.
- To identify the level of response to routine immunization routine of children programme in Ogun State.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
THE KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF MOTHERS TOWARDS ROUTINE IMMUNIZATION ROUTINE OF CHILDREN
Mother’s knowledge about immunization and their attitudes towards them likely influence uptake of immunization. Previous studies revealed misconceptions on mother’s knowledge and negative attitudes towards routine immunization routine of children. Mothers’ knowledge about vaccination was According to Yousif et al (2013), the result demonstrated that the overall, 731 women were recruited, of them 465 (63.6%) were females. More than two third of the respondents ages were < 40 years {502(68.7%)} and 634 (86.7%) were residing in the town. University graduates were 410(56.1%).
The majority of women 672 (91.9%) knew the role of routine vaccination in protecting children from some infectious diseases and its complications. A considerable number 635 (86.9%) women knew the timing of the first dose in vaccination schedule. 568 women knew that the incidence of most diseases against which children are vaccinated occur during the first years of life. Less than half of the interviewees 304 (41.6%) knew that administration of multiple doses of the same vaccine was important for child immunity.
found to be quite low and their educational status was significantly associated with child’s coverage. Negative attitude, for example mothers’ fear of vaccination, was found to be significantly affecting the immunization status of their children (Zagminaset al.,2013).
Study was made about mother’s knowledge on immunization and noted that most of the respondents can be characterized as having a positive opinion about vaccination, although 2040% of respondents indicated insufficient knowledge on this issue. Greater concern about the safety of vaccines was expressed by older women, residents of towns and highly educated individuals. On the other hand, researchers in developed world found women’ attitudes and beliefs had little effect on their children’s immunization levels. Despite the fact that local and systemic reactions to vaccines are identified, but they were found to be one of the barriers to routine immunization routine of children among other factors. An increasing number of women are questioning the safety and necessity of routine routine immunization routine of childrens. The belief that vaccines cause autism was the most prevalent parental concern in a survey conducted in USA (Zagminas et al.,2013).
Forder (2002) conducted a study of knowledge, attitudes and compliance(KAP) of communities and health workers at Kompond Chhnang, Cambodia. The study was conducted to identify barriers to immunization and According to Yousif et al (2013), the result demonstrated that the overall, 731 women were recruited, of them 465 (63.6%) were females. More than two third of the respondents ages were < 40 years {502(68.7%)} and 634 (86.7%) were residing in the town. University graduates were 410(56.1%).
The majority of women 672 (91.9%) knew the role of routine vaccination in protecting children from some infectious diseases and its complications. A considerable number 635 (86.9%) women knew the timing of the first dose in vaccination schedule. 568% women knew that the incidence of most diseases against which children are vaccinated occur during the first years of life. Less than half of the interviewees 304 (41.6%) knew that administration of multiple doses of the same vaccine was important for child immunity.
Future information, communication and education (IEC) strategies. The aim of the research was to gain an appreciation of knowledge, attitudes and compliance of the villagers and health workers toward immunizations. Quantitative and qualitative research was conducted to discover the KAP of communities and health workers towards immunization services and the introduction of hepatitis B vaccine. Three different geographical areas were identified in Kompongchhnang. The finding revealed that generally, the community participants were positive about immunization, but were not empowered to be proactive and had under lying fears about side effects, efficacy and injection techniques. Most children were immunized opportunistically, as opposed to their mothers actively seeking out immunization. Some mothers are aware of vaccine side effects, had to wait until they had enough funds to buy medicine to prevent the side effects for their child. Lack of notification of forthcoming outreach immunization sessions was a common complaint, as was the lack the of theory services available at these sessions.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH MATERIALS AND METHODS
This chapter describes the research design, area of the study, population for the study and sample size determination and sampling techniques. It also presents the instrument for data collection, validation of the instrument, reliability of the instrument, method of data collection as well as method of data analysis.
Research Design
A prospective cross-sectional survey research design was used for this study of selected households of Ogun State. It is a quantitative study as the data collected was represented in numerical terms and percentages.
Study population
The population growth rate in the State was calculated at 2%. The most recent population of the State in 2012 was approximately 251,400. Ogun State is fairly endowed with natural resources. The State has relatively low poverty levels among its residents. Mothers, fathers, caretakers of children in households were interviewed about their children’s immunization status.
CHAPTER FOUR
ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION OF DATA
PERSONAL (BIOGRAPHIC) DATA
This section of the questionnaire covered the respondents’ age, sex, religion, educational level, occupation and marital status. Though not central to the study, the personal data helped to contextualize the findings and the formulations of appropriate recommendations to enable more women have their children fully immunized.
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The study revealed that 91.5% of the children had been immunized belonging to 94 women who participated in the study in Ogun State. Four point seven (4.7%) were not immunized while 3.8% were not fully immunized. Different factors were advanced by the women for not immunizing or not fully immunizing their children. These are related to knowledge, attitudes and compliance of the women. Similar findings were found in Kompond Change Cambodia in a study by Forder (2002). Majority of the respondents 69% have the right definition of immunization being the “prevention of childhood infectious diseases”. Nineteen (19%) felt immunization was a poison; this depends on the interpretation of vaccines by people locally. However, 12% of the participants defined immunization as “it makes children get sick”, this is a misconception relating immunization to the side effects of some of the vaccines that make the children feel sick. The following factors influence women knowledge and attitude towards routine immunization routine of children in Ogun State.
Education of women in the study was presented as one factor that majorly related to why the children were fully or not fully immunized. Mothers’ knowledge about vaccination was found to be quite low and their educational status was significantly associated with child’s coverage . Negative attitude, for example mothers fear from vaccination, (Minas et al.,2013). In the study, there was a significant relationship between education and routine immunization routine of children, the more education the women attained the more the children were likely to be immunized.
Misconception about immunization caused by the sources of information and knowledge about immunization contribute greatly to the women’ attitudes towards routine immunization routine of children because different sources as discussed in the study will relay the information differently thereby causing misconception among the women. From the analysis, the misconception of immunization as a disease causing agent affected parent’s utilization of the service, thus contributing to their poor practice toward routine immunization routine of children. The different sources discussed here included friends, health workers, community health education and antenatal clinics.
Ignorance of women about immunization and its importance to childhood development and growth causes women not to have their children immunized or fully immunized. The women identified this as one reason why some women did not have their children immunized. According to Brayan et al (2013), most vaccines in the routine immunization routine of children schedule require two or more doses for the development of adequate and persistent antibody response. Similarly ignorance of mothers concerning the right doses that the children require to get especially of DPT and polio, the women may receive one or two instead of the full course and assume it is sufficient and enough without knowing the effect of this on the children’s immunity.
Similar to the above is related to fear on the side effects of some vaccines, belief of friends; this has resulted in parental concerns about the safety of vaccines and the impact of side effects on their children. These have been cited as a factor affecting immunization with one or more vaccines. It is important to note that inactive vaccine DPT given in three consecutive doses. However due to the side effects some women may think that only the first shot of the vaccine is sufficient to protect the child (Bryan et al., 2013). The identified side effects include irritating crying of the child, pain at the site of injection, fever and high temperature. Women concerns about safety of the vaccines and the impact of the side effects on their children pushed them away from completion of the immunization schedule.
Religious beliefs and religious support for immunization played a lot of influence on the knowledge, attitudes and compliance of the mothers towards routine immunization routine of children. Religion based and cultural beliefs have been significant barriers to vaccination programs in Ogun State. The notion that in prayer, God gives health, and He is the author of life, even at death caused by an infectious immunizable disease, women and communities will see it as God’s timing for the child to die. In the study, there was low coverage of immunization among the Pentecostal churches.
Marital status to a small extent also contributed to poor attitudes towards attendance of women to children’s immunization. Good coverage of immunization was seen in majority of the women who were either married or cohabiting. Majority of those who were either single or widowed/widowers had either children not immunized or others not fully immunized. According to (Fikree and Pasha, 2004) this is related to gender based inequality especially in low income countries where women depend on men even in health seeking behavior.
Economically the women identified distance from the health centres also contributed to poor attitudes among the women. Relative coverage was seen in majority of the respondents who lived near the health centres and did not have to spend on transport. Majority of those who lived far from the health centres had the children not immunized or not fully immunized because of the cost attached. In the discussion of the other factors that discouraged women of Ogun from completing immunization schedule, they identified distance and transport cost involved to take children to the health centres.
CONCLUSION
From the findings, it could be concluded that the low coverage of immunization and completion of immunization in Ogun State is due to mother’s knowledge and attitudes towards routine immunization routine of children.
Factors such as poverty, age, sex, poverty, religious beliefs, misinformation, side effects of the vaccines, distance to the healthcare centres, and busy schedules of women have contributed to the poor mother’s knowledge and attitude towards immunization.
Having improper dissemination of information and communication about immunization was found as one of the reasons for poor mother’s knowledge and attitude towards immunization of their children and/or completion of their children’s immunization schedules.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the findings of this study, there is a need for launching a comprehensive integrated strategy involving health care providers, women, local leaders, religious leaders and places of worship with the aim of educating and sensitizing the masses on the importance of immunization and the need to have the children fully immunized as per the schedule set by the Ministry of Health. There should be more of outreach immunization services at designated village centres organized by the local leaders and the health centres to reduce on the distance covered by women while taking children for immunization. Massive campaign on the importance of immunization and how to deal with the side effects can help considerably in the improvement of mother’s knowledge and attitude towards immunization thereby reducing the spread of infectious diseases.
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