Effects of Educational Intervention and Telephone-Reminders on Appointment-Keeping for Immunization among Mothers with Under-5 Children in Oyo State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Purpose: This study assessed effects of educational intervention and telephone-reminders on appointment-keeping for immunization among mothers with under-5 children in Oyo state, Nigeriao state, Nigeria.
 Methodology: The study utilized a quasi-experimental design which comprised two experimental groups and one control group using the quantitative approach. Health education intervention was delivered to the one experimental group, Health education intervention and Telephone-reminder SMS was delivered to the experimental group two at 6th and 10th week of their immunization appointment and no intervention was delivered to the control group. The educational intervention was for a duration of 2 weeks which was in three sessions, lasting for an average of 120 minutes. At baseline, data were collected before the intervention, at 2weeks immediately after the intervention, and at 8th weeks post-intervention in both the experimental and control groups. Data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 23 to generate descriptive and inferential results.
 Findings: Results showed that at baseline, there was no significant difference p<0.05 in the mean score of appointment-keeping practices in Intervention 2 (5.30±1.40), Intervention 1 (5.40±3.30), and control group (5.53±1.20). Between baseline and immediate post intervention, there was increase in the mean score of appointment-keeping practices in Intervention 2 (from 5.30±1.40 to 14.73±1.40, ES= 1.70), Intervention 1 (from 5.40±1.11 to 14.60±2.12, ES= 1.13). The level of appointment-keeping increased significantly between baseline and 8th-weeks follow up in Intervention 2 (from 5.30±1.40 to 16.75±2.15, ES= 4.24); Intervention 1 (from 5.40±3.30 to 14.80±2.04, ES= 2.37). However, there was no significant (p>0.05) difference in the CG at baseline and post intervention (from 5.53±1.20 to 5.61±1.40, ES= 0.14) also baseline and 8-weeks follow up (from 5.53±1.20 to 5.60±1.66, ES= 0.13). Intervention 2 results were significantly higher. In conclusion, the combined health education and telephone-reminder intervention was a more effective approach than the health education approach in increasing the appointment-keeping practices of mothers with under-5 children.
 Recommendation: The study recommend that telephone-reminder be incorporated in health education strategies for mothers of under-5 children for effective control and prevention of vaccine preventable diseases.