Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Mary L. Gutierrez

Abstract

Despite the efficacy of vaccines, some parents still reject vaccination of their children, resulting in low vaccination coverage, a greater burden of vaccine-preventable diseases, and high infant mortality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the sociopolitical determinants of vaccination status among children, aged 0-24 months, and identify the factors that drive vaccine hesitancy. The social ecological model served as the theoretical framework. The study research design was a quantitative cross-sectional survey. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect primary data from parents and caregivers in 384 randomly selected households from 48 settlements in the Abuja Municipal Area Council. The dependent variable was the vaccination status of children, while the independent variables were tribe, religion, socioeconomic status, and parental trust in government. Data analysis with the chi-square test and binary logistic regression in SPSS showed statistically significant associations between tribe (p = .005), parental income (p = .043), educational attainment (p = .003), trust (p < .001) and immunization of children. Only tribe and trust positively predicted immunization of children at a statistically significant level in the regression model. This study has implications for positive social change: the determinants that drive vaccine hesitancy could be identified; health literacy programs, behavior change communication, and social mobilization strategies could enhance parental vaccine acceptance, improve vaccination coverage, and reduce child mortality.

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