Association Between Fathers' Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice with Routine Immunization Status of Their Under Five (5) Year Old Children in Gusau, Zamfara State Nigeria

Abstract

Background. According to WHO, Nigeria has a high coverage of childhood immunizations, except for Northern Nigeria. Most studies on coverage examined the knowledge, attitude, and practice of mothers, but few examined that of fathers. We examined the relationship of fathers’ knowledge, attitude, and practice on routine immunization (RI) uptake in Gusau local government area (LGA), Zamafara State, Nigeria. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017-2018. Fathers of children aged 1 month to 5 years, representing households in five different wards were systematically sampled. A total of 375 correctly responded to the survey used to understand the beliefs, practices, and influences fathers encountered before and during immunization. The participation rate was 75%. Logistic regression was conducted to examine the association between immunization status and variables such as the child’s gender, fathers’ age, and tribe. Results. Fathers’ knowledge of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) was significantly related to their children’s immunization status (p<0.05). Even with the availability of immunization services, fathers were 80% significantly less likely to complete their child’s immunization without using more health workers (p <0.00). Availability of more health workers and sensitization revealed a significant relationship (p <0.00) with increased uptake. Conclusion. While fathers had adequate knowledge and attitudes, and good practices related to childhood vaccination, there were gaps in knowledge. Educational interventions are required to improve parents’ knowledge on immunization, and more health workers are the key to increasing RI uptake.