DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS AND SOCIAL MOBILIZATION STRATEGIES ON UPTAKE OF CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATION IN IJEBU-NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT OGUN STATE, NIGERIA
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Date
2018
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Abstract
The use of social mobilization (SM) as a process of engaging and motivating parents for
utilization of immunization services has attracted much global attention. The time spent on
dissemination of information using mass media showed that not much has been done to reinforce
public perception of immunization as a social norm, hence, the widely reported persistent and
low immunization coverage. The associating factors that can complement the process and also
influence preference for particular approaches by parents need to be determined in order to
reinforce such methods. The objectives of the study were to: (i) identify demographic factors for
uptake of childhood immunization; (ii) assess the knowledge of respondents on SM strategies
towards childhood immunization; (iii) determine the attitude of respondents towards social
mobilization strategies (iv) identify SM strategies adopted by respondents; and (v) identify
factors influencing SM in Ijebu-North Ogun State, Nigeria.
Cross Sectional descriptive design was adopted. Multistage sampling technique was used to
obtain a sample size of 600 respondents with children less than two years of age. Data were
collected with a researcher-designed questionnaire on a 4point Likert scale and was validated by
the supervisor and two other experts. A reliability coefficient 0.82 was obtained through a testretest method using Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Statistical package for Social Sciences
was the tool adopted for analysis. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the demographic
data while inferential statistics of Chi-square was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of
significance.
The findings of the study were that:
i. demographic factors of respondents were significantly associated with SM and
uptake of immunization services (p<0.05). Respondents with higher income and
residents of close proximity had increased odds of obtaining information and uptake
of immunization services than those in farther locations;
ii. knowledge of respondents on SM and immunization services was not significant
(p< 0.148). Only (58%) of respondents with good knowledge had children with fully
immunized status, while 69% of others with good knowledge had children with partially
immunized status;
iii. good knowledge of SM strategies in the LGA influenced positive attitude towards
immunization uptake among 61% of the recipients;
iv. health care workers are the most preferred source of knowledge and information. Eighty
percent of respondents reported positive interaction during immunization uptake; and
v. respondents who interacted through radio, town announcers and house to house contacts
have increased probability of being motivated to adopt immunization services five times
more than respondents who did not benefit from the other media contacts.
The study concluded that SM greatly influenced uptake of immunization while good knowledge
from health care workers was positively associated with attitude of parents who are using
immunization services in Ijebu North LGA. It is therefore recommended that SM should be
conducted in close proximity to residential areas and workplaces using many media for contact
with potential users of immunization services.