ENVIRONMENTAL PREDICTORS OF UNDER-FIVE IMMUNIZATION UTILIZATION AMONG WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE IN PLATEAU NORTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT OF PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA.

Abstract

Immunization remains a cornerstone of child survival strategies globally. Environmental barriers often limit mothers’ access to vaccination services such as poor road infrastructure continue to hinder the accessibility of immunization services in many low-resource settings. In the study area, there are still gaps for under-five immunization service. Despite studies to attain full immunization and enhance the immunization programmes. It is important to understand the underlying environmental predictors to fill the existing gaps using the following objective: to investigate the environmental predictors affecting under-five immunization utilization among women of childbearing age and to assess the association between environmental predictors and childhood immunization status.in study area. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 women of childbearing age (15-49 years) selected using a multistage random sampling technique. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and in-depth interview (IDI). The data collected were analyzed descriptively, while inferential employed multiple linear regression analysis to examine relationships between independent and dependent variables of under-five immunization utilization among women of childbearing age in the study area. Broken structure statistically significant (p = 0.008); descriptively, with 66.5% “deteriorated road” and 37.50% having the highest number of respondents and non-immunized respectively, of under-five more likely affecting utilization of childhood immunization in the study area. Also, raining season effects is significant (p = 0.005), and descriptively, having highest (82%) number of respondents “not attempting” to immunized their children during raining season” with 43.00% immunized against 39.00% of non-immunized under-five in the study area.