Maternal education and childhood immunization status in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: It has been hypothesized that mothers' education levels are crucial in promoting health-seeking behaviors that enhance child vaccination. This study aimed to estimate the association between maternal education and childhood immunization status in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and to identify other possible factors that influence childhood immunization. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June to November 2022 using an online questionnaire structured into three main sections. 385 mothers residing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and with children aged between birth and 6 years old, completed the survey and were included in the statistical analysis. Results: Mothers who were bachelor's degree holders constitute 61.3%. Most of them were married (89.4%), and 42.6% were government employees. Mothers' most common source of information was a child pediatrician (48.8%). The prevalence of children who were up to date with immunization status was 87%. Among those who were delayed/unvaccinated (n = 50), the most common reason was the inconvenient opening hours of the immunization site (46%). When measuring the relationship between child immunization status and the socio-demographic characteristics of participants, it was revealed that child immunization uptake was significantly more common among mothers who had better education (p = 0.009), married mothers (p = 0.022), mothers with a child aged 3-6 years (p = 0.002), and having a child without a medical condition (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study has revealed a positive association between educated mothers and increased children's vaccination uptake, as well as the importance of the healthcare provider's role in carrying reliable and trusted information to mothers, contributing to higher child immunization rates.