Determinants of timeliness of measles vaccination among 12-23 months old children in the Municipality of Tapaz, Capiz

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the timeliness of measles vaccination among 12-23 months old child in selected barangay in the Municipality of Tapaz, Capiz. Specifically, the study aimed to: describe the mother’s personal characteristics; describe the childrens’ characteristics; determine the respondents accessibility to the health facility; determine the respondents’ perceptions on the responsiveness of the service providers’; determine the timeliness of measles immunization among 12-23 months old; determine if there is a relationship between mothers’ personal characteristics and their childrens’ timeliness of measles immunization; between childrens’ characteristics and timeliness of their measles immunization; between accessibility to the health facility and childrens’ timeliness of measles immunization; between the respondents perception on the responsiveness of the service provider and childrens’ timeliness of measles immunization. This is a descriptive -relational study which used a one-shot survey design to collect data among 12-23 months old children in three barangays in the Municipality of Tapaz, Capiz. A self administered questionnaire was utilized to gather the needed data among the 83 respondents. The data were processed and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 17. The frequency, percentage, and mean as descriptive statistics were utilized to describe and analyze univariate variables of the study. Crammer’s V were appropriately employed to determine the relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Based on the findings, the average age of the mothers was 28.48 years. Majority of them were 26-35 years old, college educated, with 1 to 2 children and with a monthly income of less than Php 3000.00. They were mostly housewives had delivered their child at the health center. In terms of child characteristics, there were about the same proportion of male and female children. Majority of the children were a second child. Most of the mothers live less than 500 meters away from the immunization site, traveled less than 30 minutes in going to the site. Most of them resided in the poblacion. Moreover, most of the mothers had a good perception on the responsiveness of service provider. As to the timeliness of measles vaccination, three out of four children were vaccinated on time and one out of four received measles vaccine later. The relational analysis revealed that the mother’s personal characteristics such as age, educational attainment, number of children and monthly family income; child sex and birth order and traveling time were negligibly associated with timeliness measles vaccination. On the other hand, occupation and place of residence was slightly associated with timeliness of vaccination. Furthermore, there is a high and positive relationship between place of delivery and timeliness of vaccination, whereas distance had a high and negative relationship with timeliness of measles vaccination. Moreover, mothers perception on the responsiveness of service provider and timeliness of measles vaccination was found to be associated with each other but in a minimum degree.

Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn:

The factors that were more likely for children to be vaccinated with measles on time are mothers who are older, educated, employed, with 1-2 children, monthly income of 7001 and above and child delivered at health center. For childrens’ characteristics, male and first children were more likely to receive a timely vaccinated against measles. In terms of accessibility to the health facility, mothers who traveled more than 1000 meters away from health facility, traveled less than 30 minutes to reach the health facility and resided at the poblacion were more likely to bring their children for timely measles vaccination. Moreover, good responsiveness of service provider as perceived by mothers can contribute to the timely vaccination of measles.