Dissertation (MSc Pediatric Nursing)
Background:Health belief theory was developed to assess health behavior of individual through examination of perceptions someone may have towards disease and negative outcomes of certain actions. In relation to vaccine uptake, the theory explains why caregivers reject or accept child disease prevention intervention.
Methods:Across sectional study design community based was conducted. Purposively sampling method was used to select region and District based on low uptake of Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. Simple random sampling by rotary method was used to select Shehias and study participants. Systemic random sampling by mapping was used to select households. Vaccine uptake was verified through child RCH card No.1. Participants were interviewed through interviewer structured questionnaires. Data on 500 children aged 6 weeks to 2 years were collected from their respective caregivers, among them, females were 269 (53.8%), whereas 231 (46.2%) were male.Data entry, processing and analysis were done by using Statistical Package of Social Solution (SPSS v. 20).
Results:The overall Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine uptake in children 6 weeks to 2 years of age was 87%, complete immunized children were 78.4%. In factors associated with PCV uptake, it was found that caregivers who is employed were less likely to vaccinate their child compare with caregiver who is self-employed (AOR= 0.610, CI= 0.152, 2.450). Also, caregiver who delivered at health facility were 4 times more likely to vaccinate their child compare with caregiver who delivered at home (AOR=4.596, CI =2.114, 9.995). In addition caregiver household located at rural were 3 times more likely to vaccinate their child than those household located at urban area (AOR =3.476, CI= 1.665, 7.253)
Conclusion:Factors associated with vaccine uptake identified in this study were caregiver‟s factors, child factors and environmental factors, but there is no association between vaccine uptake and caregivers perceptions .Therefore to increase vaccine uptake to children the education on the important of vaccine in relation to factors contributing to vaccine uptake were needed.
Key words:Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, health beliefs, perceptions, pneumonia.