Magnitude and Factors Associated with Tetanus Toxoid Vaccination among Female Youth in Mekelle City, Ethiopia: A Community Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Tetanus can occur worldwide, and, in all age-groups, who acquire the infection through unhygienic conditions and in the youths, who have insufficient antitoxins due to no or sub-optimal immunization to protect themselves and their newborn babies. Objectives: To assess the magnitude and factors associated with tetanus toxoid immunization among female youths in Mekelle City, Tigray Regional state, Ethiopia. Method: Community based cross sectional study design was conducted. A total of 633 youths’ participants were included in this study. The sub-cities and Kebeles were selected by simple random sampling method. The participants were allocated to the households based on proportion to size allocation and households were selected by systematic sampling method. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data by interviewing the participants and the collected data was fed into EPI Info version 7 and imported into SPSS version 20 for bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: In this study, a total of 633 female youth participants who lived at least 6 months in Mekelle city were interviewed. The result showed that 366 (57.8%) female youth participants were immunized. In general, multivariate analysis involving all associated independent variables with P-value <0.05 was done. From all the independent variables, antenatal care follows up during pregnancy [AOR=0.01(95% CI=0.00‑0.27)] and is not ever heard about tetanus toxoid vaccination [AOR=0.02(95% CI=0.00‑0.36)] were found significantly associated with the dependent variable tetanus toxoid vaccination. Conclusion and recommendation: Majority of female youths who did not ever hear about tetanus toxoid vaccination and did not attend antenatal care follow up were less immunized. Therefore, providing regular and frequent education about tetanus toxoid for the community, and youths, in particular, is important to raise awareness and improve low magnitude on tetanus toxoid vaccination.

Keywords: Tetanus toxoid, vaccination, youth, Mekelle city, immunization

Cite this Article

Kfle G/gebrezgabiher, Mache Tsadik, Mengistu Mitiku, Kalayou K. Berhe. Magnitude and Factors Associated with Tetanus Toxoid Vaccination among Female Youth in Mekelle City, Ethiopia: A Community Based Cross-Sectional Study. Research & Reviews: A Journal of Health Professions. 2019; 9(3): 11–21p.