The Interplay of Ethnicity, Education, and Employment on Maternal Attitudes Toward Childhood Vaccination in Nigeria

Аннотация

Vaccination is a highly effective public health strategy for reducing child mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) such as measles, polio, tuberculosis, and Haemophilus influenzae. The American Journal of Medical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Research 65 https://www.theamericanjournals.com/index.php/tajmspr The American Journal of Medical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Research Despite the provision of free routine immunizations for LGA. children up to two years old in Nigeria, challenges in vaccine uptake persist, especially for vaccines needed INTRODUCTION: Childhood immunization is one of the beyond early childhood. These challenges are not most cost-effective public health interventions for merely due to vaccine access but are significantly reducing childhood morbidity and mortality. It provides influenced by maternal attitudes towards protection against serious diseases such as measles, immunization. Socio-demographic factors such as polio, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, and Mpox, which ethnicity, education, and employment status are has seen a growing prevalence in recent years (World crucial in shaping these attitudes, yet their specific Health Organization [WHO], 2021; Abejegah, impacts are not well understood. This study aims to Obohwemu & Mdegela, 2024; Jesse & Obohwemu, explore how these socio-demographic variables affect 2024). While global initiatives like the Expanded maternal attitudes towards childhood immunization, Program on Immunization (EPI) have significantly with a focus on immunization beyond the age of two in improved vaccination rates, low- and middle-income Ughelli North Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta countries (LMICs), including Nigeria, continue to face State, Nigeria. barriers to achieving optimal coverage. Maternal A cross-sectional study was conducted with 321 attitudes significantly influence vaccination uptake, mothers in Ughelli North LGA, utilizing a modified, pre- shaped by demographic factors like ethnicity, tested questionnaire to evaluate maternal attitudes education, and employment. These factors contribute towards childhood immunization. Data were collected to maternal decision-making regarding childhood through an online survey and analysed using immunization, with significant implications for vaccine descriptive and inferential statistics, with Chi-square acceptance or hesitancy (Dubé et al., 2013; Bangura et tests used to assess the relationships between socio- al., 2020; Obohwemu, 2024a). demographic factors and attitudes. The majority of Nigeria is among the countries with the highest number participants were Urhobo (60.7%), semi-employed of under-vaccinated children. According to WHO and (53.6%), and had tertiary education (92.1%). The UNICEF, over three million Nigerian children were either findings showed that 79.4% of mothers had positive under-vaccinated or entirely unvaccinated in 2018 attitudes towards childhood immunization. Significant (WHO/UNICEF, 2020). While barriers such as limited associations were found between maternal attitudes healthcare access, logistical challenges, and cultural and ethnicity (p = 0.026), employment status (p = resistance persist, maternal attitudes play a pivotal role 0.016), and educational level (p < 0.001), indicating (Obohwemu, 2024b). These attitudes are shaped not that these factors are pivotal in shaping maternal views only by knowledge but also by broader psychosocial, on the importance and necessity of immunization. cultural, and economic factors influencing beliefs and Unexpectedly, even mothers with high educational perceptions about vaccination, especially as diseases levels showed variability in their attitudes based on like MPox become more prevalent. ethnic background and employment status, suggesting Nigeria’s ethnic diversity—home to over 250 ethnic that public health interventions must consider the groups—profoundly shapes maternal attitudes toward complex interplay of these factors. The study's results immunization. Ethnic identity is closely tied to cultural provide valuable insights into the socio-cultural and practices, which may conflict with biomedical economic determinants of maternal attitudes towards perspectives on health. In certain ethnic communities, immunization in Ughelli, underscoring the need for beliefs favouring natural immunity or divine targeted health promotion strategies that address intervention over medical interventions, including specific demographic groups. Efforts should focus on vaccines, contribute to vaccine hesitancy (Jegede, community-based interventions and media campaigns 2007). Mothers influenced by such beliefs may prioritize that highlight the importance of continuing vaccination traditional remedies, especially when distrust of beyond infancy. Additionally, enhancing access to Western medicine is prevalent. immunization services and addressing barriers related to employment and ethnicity will be crucial for Religious beliefs, often overlapping with ethni