Determinants of Knowledge and Acceptance of Childhood Routine Immunisation among Community Members and Mothers of Under-Two Children in Ibadan, Nigeria

Vaccination is one of the medical achievements of the twentieth century; however, some vaccines are receiving less and less support. The study assessed knowledge and acceptance of Childhood Routine Immunisation (CRI) among adults in selected communities of Ido Local Government Area, Ibadan, Oyo State. This was a descriptive mixed-method study among caregivers of children under two years and members of the selected communities. A total of 416 questionnaires were administered among community members, while 15 In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) were conducted among mothers of Under-2 children. A 17-point knowledge scale was used to measure the respondents knowledge of CRI. Also, the level of acceptance of CRI was measured on a 7-point acceptance scale. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were used to determine the statistical significance of the study. Majority (90.2%) of the respondents were females, 80.3% were married, and 49.9% had secondary education. The respondents knowledge score of CRI ranged from 1 to 15, with a mean score of 10.6±2.5, with 19.4% having poor knowledge. The result of the IDI qualitative showed that the majority of the respondents reported that it is very good to take a child to the hospital to get immunized. The respondents acceptance scores range from 2 to 14, with a mean score of 12.79 ± 2.44. The majority (94.0%) of the respondents had a high acceptance of CRI. All of the IDI respondents reported that there is no harm in getting Immunisation and it is safe for their children. This study shows that there is a significant association between respondents socio-demographic characteristics (gender, level of education, occupation, child age) and knowledge of CRI (p<0.05). Also, there is a significant association between respondents socio- demographic characteristics (age and level of education) and acceptance of CRI (p<0.05). Respondents generally have a high level of knowledge and acceptance of childhood routine Immunisation. Higher levels of education and certain occupational groups are linked to better knowledge and greater acceptance. It is recommended that strengthening health education programs, especially among less educated groups, coupled with consistent public health efforts, can sustain and enhance the positive trends observed in Immunisation acceptance.