AWARENESS AND COMPLIANCE OF ANTITETANUS IMMUNZATION AMONG ADULT FEMALES IN A TERTIARY INSTITUTION IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the awareness level and the compliance to anti-tetanus immunization among adult females in an urban community in South West of Nigeria. The rationale for the study was informed by the fact that high incidence of tetanus infections and deaths are still being reported from our clinics regularly. A total of 394 female workers and students of LAUTECH University and its Teaching Hospital participated in the cross-sectional survey. They were selected using the stratified sampling procedure. A pre-tested structure but open-ended questionnaire was administered on the respondents. The result of the analysis showed a high level of awareness (69. 8%) of anti-tetanus immunization among the respondents and a high significance association was found between the level of awareness and respondent's profession (X= 7. 65; p < 0. 0011). Majority of the respondents (56.1%) took their last dose of anti-tetanus immunization during their last pregnancies. More than one third (37.2%) of the 148 respondents who ever gate birth took only one dose or none during their last pregnancy, thus putting into question the immunological status of those mothers and the children they gave birth to then. It was concluded that despite the high level of awareness among the respondents, compliance was quite low. It is recommended that government should provide logistic supports to make immunization programme accessible on a sustainable basis to everybody in the country. Activities should be put in place that will promote behavioural change in women so that they can go for anti-tetanus immunization.


Key Words: Antitetanus immunization, adult females; awareness; Compliance.


Afr. J. Clin. Exper. Microbiol. 2004; 5(2): 208 – 216.