Immunization status and its determinants among children of female traders in Ibadan, South-Western Nigeria

Abstract

Traders form a large percentage of the female workforce in Nigeria and may spend long hours at work, thereby putting their children at risk of inadequate immunization. The study assessed primary immunization completion rate and the determinants of immunization status among the children of female market traders in Ibadan, South-Western Nigeria. A cross-sectional community-based survey was carried out in Bodija market among female traders who had children aged 12 to 23 months. The subjects were selected by systematic random sampling and data collected with an interviewer-administered semistructured questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to estimate the predictors of incomplete immunization for the socio-demographic variables. A total of 418 women were interviewed. Ninety-two percent worked > 6 days a week and 78.5% had their children with them in the market all the time. Full immunization by both card and history was recorded in only 40.7% while 8.4% of children had never been immunized. The highest vaccine coverage was seen with BCG (91.4%) while Hepatitis B (1%) had the lowest coverage. DPT1 to DPT3 vaccine drop-out rate was 32.1%. All the immunizations were received in health facilities. The immunization coverage rate among children of female traders was low. Routine immunization sites should be made available in the markets.