Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors in influencing for tetanus toxoid vaccination among married women of reproductive age group (18-49) of Ghotki Sindh.
METHODOLOGY: Descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in UC Kamu-Shaheed, district Ghotki from May 2017 to October 2017. Total sample of reproductive age group women 18-49 years were 323 which was taken though systematic random sampling with confidence interval 0.5%. Results were taken by computing frequencies and association were analyzed through chi-squire.
RESULTS: Two hundred and one (62.2%) women and seventy one (22%) men (husbands of women) were illiterate. Seventy one (22%) respondents had no knowledge about Tetanus Toxoid vaccine, 292 (90.4%) respondents have received one or more doses of Tetanus toxoid vaccine. 293 (90.7%) respondents expressed that they had LHWs in their areas and 30 (9.3%) denied. 190 (58.8%) respondents expressed fear from injections. 43(13%) women were completely immunized (received all five doses of Tetanus toxoid), 31 (9.6%) women did not receive any Tetanus toxoid vaccination (zero dose). Variables like distance from home to health facility, education of women, fear of injection, and awareness regarding vaccine were significantly influencing Tetanus toxoid vaccination. Absence of vaccinator, absence of LHWs in the area and absence of female staff at the health facility were among top three influencing factors which scoring of 55%, 43.3%, and 39.3% respectively.
CONCLUSION: Lack of education, transport, access to health care facility, availability of practitioners, knowledge of tetanus and vaccination schedule, availability of vaccines are the factors affecting the introduction of tetanus toxoid in the body of pregnant women.