Knowledge and uptake of tetanus toxoid vaccine among mothers in a semi-urban community in South-South Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Tetanus is a vaccine-preventable acute disease that is caused by Clostridium tetani, and it has remained a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children under the age of 5 years in developing countries. This study aimed to evaluate the level of knowledge and uptake of tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccine among mothers in Esan Central L.G.A.

Materials and Methods: This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State. Data were collected from 226 pregnant women attending antenatal clinics, using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Ethical approval was obtained from the Research and Ethics Committee of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua. Analysis was conducted in IBM SPSS version 21, and results were presented as frequencies and proportions in tables and charts.

Results: All the respondents were aware of tetanus, and 203 (90%) were aware of tetanus toxoid vaccines. 88 (38.9%) of the respondents had good knowledge of tetanus toxoid immunization, 95 (42.0%) had fair knowledge, and 43 (19.0%) had poor knowledge. Knowledge of tetanus toxoid was significantly associated with maternal age (p=0.0001), educational status (p=0.001), and occupation (p=0.001), with older and more educated women having better knowledge. One hundred and ninety-nine (88.1%) respondents had a positive perception towards TT immunization. Respondents’ perceptions were significantly associated with educational status (p=0.027) and occupation (p=0.001). One hundred and twenty-five (55.3%) had taken TT vaccine. Vaccine uptake was significantly associated with educational status (p=0.001) and occupation (p=0.001).

Conclusion: Respondents’ educational status and occupation were significantly associated with knowledge of TT, perceptions of the vaccine, and vaccine uptake. Common hindrances to vaccine uptake included negative attitudes among some health workers, poor service quality, cancellations of scheduled services, and perceived vaccine side effects. Health workers should receive training and retraining, and health education should continue at all levels of health care. This should also be carried out in schools at all levels in the State.