Department of Pharmacy Practice, Srinivas College of Pharmacy, Valachil, Post Farangipete, Mangalore-574143.
Immunization is essential for public health, effectively reducing illness and death from Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs). In order to raise public awareness of the advantages of vaccination, this study sought to determine the knowledge, attitude, perception and its influence on immunization status. A prospective observational study was conducted in Mangalore in which a total of 161 mothers with children under five-year-old were included in the study. The knowledge, attitude and perception affecting immunization status were examined using a pre-validated questionnaire. Out of 161 participants, 31.6% had good knowledge, 8% had positive attitude and 24.2% had positive perception on immunization programme. There was a significant (p<0.05) correlation found among the 41% of mothers who stated that their children had delayed vaccinations, 75.7% had inadequate knowledge, 95.5% had a negative attitude, and 81.81% had poor perception. Moreover, the study showed that education and employment status of mother were significant factors affecting immunization status. Therefore, to increase the vaccination rates and enhance the overall health of future generations, health care providers should educate by using patient information leaflet (PIL), follow immunization cards, utilize vaccination date reminders and communicate promptly with mothers to improve the knowledge, attitude and perception regarding the immunization program and address the other factors that may limit the vaccination rate.
Immunization is one of the most popular and economically viable public health interventions to reduce childhood morbidity and death linked to vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDS)1,10. It is widely acknowledged that raising the vaccination rate to above 80% prevents disease transmission to the point where even children who are not vaccinated in the community are protected due to herd immunity. As a result, it's critical that all kids under five receive vaccinations. Additionally, in order to protect every generation going forward, that level of immunization needs be maintained. Immunizations against dangerous diseases throughout childhood not only protect a child from them, but also stop them from infecting other children. Both community hospitals and private hospitals implement various immunization programs. The BCG vaccine, poliomyelitis vaccine, pertussis vaccine, tetanus vaccine, measles vaccine, MMR vaccine, hepatitis B vaccine, varicella vaccine, typhoid vaccine, etc. are common vaccinations in the current situation2.
The Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI), launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1974, attempts to achieve at least 85% vaccination coverage while also immunizing infants against diseases that can be prevented by vaccination. According to national family health surveys, vaccination coverage has gradually increased in India over time, with 35.4%, 42.2%, and 43.5% of children between the ages of 12 and 23 months finding that they had received all recommended vaccinations. However, this improvement falls well short of what is desired. Depending on socioeconomic conditions, these numbers differ significantly between states and nations3,11. The community's inadequate engagement in routine vaccination programs, as well as a lack of information and communication efforts, have been recognized as the main causes of low coverage. A major obstacle to childhood vaccination is unfavourable parental attitudes against vaccinations4. A number of factors, including parents' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions, affect an immunization program's success or failure. There is variation in the vaccination rate in India. In Karnataka, the remaining 15 districts including Bijapur District had low vaccination rates, with the exception of Uttar Kannada District, which has a very high vaccination rate of 95%, and 14 other districts that have demonstrated a greater coverage rate (>85%). 95% vaccination coverage is the minimum required to maintain the control of diseases that can be prevented by vaccination5.
Given that mothers are a child's primary caregiver, they are crucial to the child's immunization process. Research have indicated that the incomplete or partial immunization status of children under five years old is influenced by maternal factors, including knowledge, attitude, and perception of mothers as well as socioeconomic factors6.
This study aims to assess mother’s knowledge, attitudes, and perception towards child vaccination. This will make it possible for us to determine the causes of inadequate immunization as well as other elements influencing low vaccination rates.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
STUDY DESIGN:
A Prospective observational study
STUDY SITE:
The study was conducted at communities in Mangalore.
STUDY DURATION
: The study was conducted for a duration of 6 months.
SAMPLE SIZE:
The sample taken for the study was 1616.
STUDY CRITERIA:
Inclusion criteria:
Mothers of child below 5 years of age.
Voluntary participants residing in Mangalore.
Exclusion criteria:
Mothers of child with diseases and/ medications.
Mothers working as healthcare professionals.
SOURCE OF DATA:
The data were collected using Questionnaire9
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS:
Statistical Analysis involves collecting and scrutinizing every data sample in a set of items from which samples can be drawn and a suitable statistical test will be applied to analyse the data. The collected data will be analysed using Microsoft Excel.
RESULTS
Socio Demographic Characteristics of Study Participants
The study comprised 161 respondents in total, and sociodemographic data about the study participants was gathered from different Mangalore localities. The mothers' mean age, according to the data, was 29. The majority (69.5%) were homemakers, and over half (64.5%) had earned a degree. 51.5% Of mothers had female children, while 53.4% of mothers were from rural areas. A summary of the demographic features can be found in a Table 1.
From total of 161, 66 participants had delayed their immunization and 95 participants children were immunized as per schedule without fail. [Table 2]
ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge of mothers on immunization programme:
In all, 63.3% of mothers who satisfied the requirements for inclusion are aware of the child vaccination program [Fig 1]. 81.9% Of Mothers concurred that the aim of immunization is to prevent development of certain diseases [Fig 2]. 94 mothers are aware that vaccinations begin as soon as the baby is born [Fig 3].
The data also showed that influence of the knowledge, attitude and perception was significant on immunization status. Majority of participants with poor knowledge, attitude and perception had delayed immunization with p value < 0>
DISCUSSION
This study evaluated the knowledge, attitudes, and perception of mothers in Mangalore about immunization programs and the factors influencing children under the age of five's immunization status. Mothers' awareness is known to have a significant effect on their child's immunization rate and ability to retain current immunization status. A brief survey is designed to gather information about mothers of children under five years old regarding their knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of routine immunization (RI), as well as the factors affecting their child's immunization status. In contrast to a study by Abel N et al., a significant correlation was also found in the current study between mothers' immunization status and their knowledge, attitude, and perception. Their findings showed that the immunization status of children was correlated with factors mothers' knowledge, attitudes and perceptions1.This study found a significant relationship (p<0>
CONCLUSION:
The current study concludes that mothers of children under five had inadequate knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions regarding routine immunizations. The study showed that delayed immunization was significantly associated with poor knowledge, negative attitudes, and poor perception. Furthermore, the education and employment status of the mother were significant factors affecting the immunization status. When devising plans for child vaccination, each of these variables has to be considered. Therefore, to increase the vaccination rates and enhance the overall health of future generations, healthcare providers should educate by using PIL, follow immunization cards, utilize vaccination date reminders, and communicate promptly with mothers to improve the knowledge, attitude, and perception regarding the immunization program and address the other factors that may limit the vaccination rate.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank Srinivas College of Pharmacy for their support and acknowledge the study participants for their seamless completion.
REFERENCE:
Ramakrishna Shabaraya A., Clelia Kb, Sudhamshu K Tantry, A Prospective Observational Study To Assess The Knowledge, Attitude And Perception Of Mothers On Child Immunization Programme In Mangalore, Int. J. of Pharm. Sci., 2024, Vol 2, Issue 10, 664-672. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13955809
10.5281/zenodo.13955809
