Determinants of childhood immunization among rural mothers in Nigeria

Abstract

INTRODUCTION In Sub-Sahara Africa, children have been reported to have the highest mortality rate, accounting for about 68-86 deaths per 1000 live births. The low immunization rate has made children more vulnerable to diseases such as diarrhea, pneumonia, measles, and many others, which has increased the mortality rate among children aged <5 years. The objective of this study was to assess the factors that determine the uptake of childhood immunization among rural mothers in Nigeria. METHODS This was a cross-sectional study analyzing a secondary dataset extracted from the 2018 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) database. A total of 1426 women (aged 15-49 years) across the six geopolitical regions of Nigeria were included in the study. The descriptive and inferential data analysis (binary logistic regression) was carried out using the SPSS version 26. RESULTS Mothers aged 35-44 years were 1.76 times more likely to receive complete immunization for their children (AOR=1.76; 95% CI: 1.25-2.48) compared to mothers aged 15-24 years. Mothers who visited antenatal clinics between 1-8 times, and >9 were 4.6 and 8.2 times, respectively, more likely to receive complete immunization for their children (AOR=4.58; 95% CI: 3.17-6.61 and AOR=8.21; 95% CI: 5.0613.31) compared to mothers who did not visit antenatal clinics. CONCLUSIONS The findings show that age, region, education level, wealth index, and the number of visits to a place of antenatal care (ANC) are the major determinants of the completion of immunization. Interventions should focus on addressing and educating rural mothers, especially those who are less likely to complete immunization for their children.