Authors: Umar Yunusa, Omolola Irinoye, Umar Lawal Bello and Golfa Timothy
Background: Vaccine preventable diseases are major causes of child mortality which could have been prevented by routine immunization. Many children are not completely immunized due to non-compliance by their parents. Aim: This study explored the determinants of parental compliance with routine childhood immunization schedule in Nassarawa state, Nigeria.
Methodology: An explanatory mixed method design was used in which 387 parents of children aged 12 to 23 months were recruited using multistage cluster sampling technique. A validated interviewer administered questionnaire (IAQ) was used to collect quantitative data. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) guide was used to collect qualitative data. Quantitative data was analysed using frequency tables and multinomial regression while qualitative data was analysed using content analysis.
Results: Findings showed that nearly 60.0% of the parents have low knowledge of routine immunization. Only one quarter (24.5%) of the surveyed children were completely immunized. Multinomial regression test showed that there was a significant association between the level of education of parents (β =0.815, P<0.05), number of children (β =-0.424, P<0.05) and parents knowledge of immunization (β =-3.735, P<0.05) with the completion of childhood immunization. The higher the values of the age and number of children delivered in a formal health care facility the higher the probability of them being completely immunized.
Conclusion: The study concluded that level of education, knowledge of immunization by parents, attendance of antenatal clinics by mothers and delivery of the child in a health facility are the determinants of parental compliance with routine childhood immunization.
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