Problems Associated With Immunization of Children Among Illiterate Mothers
Chapter One
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This research is an attempt to study the attitude of mothers towards immunization most especially among illiterate mothers in Nigeria. The purpose of this study is to:
- To find out why mothers refused to bring their children for immunization
- To know why some mothers started but refused to complete the normal schedule
- To know or find out how many children register in the clinic and health center for immunization from January 2010 to December 2010.
- To know the number of children who started the immunization and completed the normal schedule
- To know the number of children who started the immunization but refused to complete it.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
While developed nations have achieved reduction in mortality and morbidity rates from communicable diseases through effective immunization programmes, infectious diseases remain a major contributory factor to the high infant and child morbidity and mortality rates in developing countries (Baqui et al., 1993). Statistics shows that every year, more than 10 million children die before they reach their fifth birthdays in low- and middle-income countries (Bulletin of World Health Organization, 2007). Most of these deaths are as a result of lack of effective interventions that would combat common and preventable childhood illnesses (Lee, 2003). In fact, about 30 million out of the 130 million children born every year worldwide are not receiving vaccination of any kind (WHO, 2000). Immunization is the greatest public health success story in history (Henderson, 1998). The two most effective means of preventing diseases, disability and death from infectious diseases have been sanitation and immunization (Walter et al., 1995). Childhood immunization has been a great concern of the World Health Organization and the organization rates immunization as one of the interventions with a large potential impact on health outcome (WHO, 2000) as diseases have occurred whenever children remain unimmunized or under immunized. Thus, the Expanded Programmme on Immunization (EPI) was established to fight against six vaccine preventable diseases which are measles, diphtheria, tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, tetanus and pertussis (EPI, 1993). The program aims at reducing morbidity and mortality associated with not immunizing the children. An important aspect of the exercise was to ensure that every contact a child has with the health facility, should be utilized as an opportunity for vaccination (Richard, 2004). Vaccines are generally recommended as safe. The protections they provide erase the risk of serious problems associated with them. Still, some parents are reluctant to immunize their children due to fear of side effects (Yarwood et al., 2005). Some consider it to be a threat to their children’s lives as they themselves claimed not to have been immunized during childhood. Some even bluntly refuse immunization because of religious beliefs (EPI, 1998; Streefland et al., 1999) while others refuse child immunization based on their preference for being “natural and pure” (Richard, 2004). However, it has been documented that vaccination demands and acceptance depend largely on a number of factors that are quite broad and complex. Some studies attributed acceptability of immunization to the kind of relationship that exists between the vaccinators and mothers, stressing on the attitude of the health care providers when being approached by mothers for their children vaccination (EPI, 1998; Streefland et al., 1999). Unfortunately, some children miss vaccination opportunity as a result of the parents’ misperception on the competence of some of the vaccinators (EPI, 1998; Streefland et al., 1999; Nichter, 1990). In addition, parental knowledge, attitude and practice to childhood immunization have been reported by researchers to play a key role in immunization coverage (Anand and Barnighausen, 2007; Rehman et al., 1995; Wang et al., 2007).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter deals with the method used in collecting data required in carrying out this research work it explains the procedures that were followed and the instrument used in collecting data.
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment, the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information for the study problems associated with immunization of children among the illiterate mothers. The researcher randomly select 200 staff of in Ekiti state teaching hospitalas the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to evaluate the problems associated with immunization of children among the illiterate mothers.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges associated with immunization of children among illiterate mothers.
Summary
Parent’s education plays an important role in determining the health conditions for children. It helps the children to be mentally healthy and active. People are reluctant to allow their women to go out for education and other chores in some part of Nigeria so literacy rate is very low in these regions having poor health system. In rural areas the basic necessities of life are not available up to mark. They have to travel a long distance to get basic health facilities. The vaccination system is also not proper. The other dilemma rural areas are that the people have no access to the basic education at school level. Due to prejudice thinking people are reluctant to allow their females to get education.. There are some families where the females are allocated the authority as the head of family. It was concluded that the uneducated females living in villages immunized their children less than the highly educated mothers living in cities. The male head of family also immunized their children less than the female heads of the family. It was recommended that the females should be provided education to get awareness about the basic issues of practical life. Awareness campaign should be started at rural areas so that people can immunize their children to prevent their children from disease. Male head of family should also take care of children and help their females.
Conclusion
The study was to examine the problems associated with immunization of children among illiterate mother, some mothers still did not attend vaccination centers because of delay in vaccine supply, clashes of immunization days with their economic activities, especially the market days, and the negative attitude of some clinic staff. Perceived side-effects of vaccine did not have strong negative influence on patronage of immunization. Nevertheless, mothers’ recurring experiences of delay due to the length of time it took to get immunization supplies from Ibadan cold chain store, and uncertainty of those supplies, perception of vaccination, and the role of the significant others like the mother-in-law and husbands and immunization schedules might increase the rate non-attendance at vaccination clinics which might lead to declining vaccination rate. The consequence of this is very crucial because declining vaccination rates have been associated with outbreaks of preventable diseases, especially measles and polio, in many places.
Recommendations
The researcher is of the opinion that, there is a need to supplement an understanding of demand-supply dynamics with efforts to address problems associated with vaccine supply and its links with the wider context of primary health-care financing and delivery in Nigeria. To address the problem of supply of vaccine, government should establish sustainable cold chain facility in the local communities. For instance, solar-energy powered freezers will be appropriate in such communities. Clinic staff should be trained in ethical conduct of health-care delivery to enhance their relationship with mothers. Public engagement strategy will be necessary to tackle the problem of clashes between immunization schedules and mothers’ personal programs. This will help to produce immunization schedules acceptable to both the clinic staff and the mothers. Finally, there is need to train the clinic staff in clinical ethics to be able to relate well with patients
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