Knowledge on routine pentavalent vaccines and socioeconomic correlates among mothers of children aged younger than 5 years in Urban Puducherry

Abstract

Background: Introduction of any new vaccine into the community needs lot of efforts in disseminating the knowledge to the community and getting their cooperation for appropriate compliance. Objective: To study mother’s knowledge on routine vaccination with special focus on pentavalent vaccine and to identify the associated factors favoring the knowledge on pentavalent vaccine, immunization coverage, and reasons in case of delay in immunization. Materials and Methods: Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in four areas of urban field practice area of JIPMER, Puducherry, during February to March 2013. By proportionate stratified sampling, mothers of children aged younger than 5 yr were selected from the records maintained in the urban center. Mothers were interviewed regarding knowledge and schedule for routine vaccines and sociodemographic details. Status of vaccine administration was cross-checked with the immunization card of the child. Results: Mean age of the 215 mothers interviewed was 27  3.7 yr and their children was 23.7  16.7 mo. Among these 215 mothers, 36.7% had knowledge about pentavalent vaccine. Vaccine knowledge was higher for polio (94.4%), followed by measles and DPT (77–79%). Mothers of children who had received the pentavalent vaccine were significantly more aware of this vaccine compared with mothers whose children did not receive it (P = 0.0004). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that mother’s education, occupation, and age of the children to be the significant factors favoring their knowledge. Conclusion: On introduction of a new vaccine in the health system, health workers should remind the mothers regarding next schedule, especially the illiterate, housewives, and mothers aged more than 30 yr.