Media utilization for mobilizing women for national programme on immunization

Yahaya, M.K. and Fadairo, O.S and Abe(Owolabi), A.O. Media utilization for mobilizing women for national programme on immunization. Nigeria Journal of Rural Sociology, 9 (1).

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Abstract

Inappropriate or inadequate use of communication strategies to create a sustained awareness among stakeholders has been identified as a major obstacle to the attainment of the goals ofprimary health care delivery in Nigeria The study thus examined media utilizationfor mobilizing womenfor the National Programme on Immunization (NPI) in Oyo State. Study was conducted in Iseyin, Oluyole and Akinyele local government areas and the population comprised of pregnant women and nursing mothers. Two wards were purposively selectedfrom each local government area to make a total of six wards. Twenty respondents were randomly selected from each of the six wards to make a sample size of 120. Structured questionnaire was used to elicit information on respondents' sources of immunization messages, uptake of immunization services, problems encountered by respondents in accessing immunization services and their media preference. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and chi square statistical tool was used to show the relationship in the stated hypothesis. If wide range of information sources were available to women but prominent among these were health workers (96.2), radio (93.3) and television (88.6). Majority of respondents (98.1%) preferred health workers as their source 0./ immunization messages and least preference were indicated for neighbors (39.1%) newspapers (34.3%) and posters (/4.3%). The most severe problems faced by women in accessing immunization services were tension due to delay in getting attention and long distance of immunization centers FO/~l their houses. On the other hand, shortage of vaccines, poor immunization facilities and inadequacy of trained health workers were ranked as less severe problems. Also, a significant relationship exists between respondents' location; their level of education on and their usage of immunization messages (XZ= 8.9, 12.7 P::::' 0.05). Interpersonal communication strategy involving the use of health workers was most effective in women mobilizationfor the NPI programme. In addition, utilization of media messages on NPI is affected by the level of education of respondents. It is recommended that priority attention be paid to the use of health workers in NPI information dissemination while the use of other communication strategies should be reinforced. Furthermore, media messages on NPI should be packaged and relayed with careful attention to the level of education of the vast majority of the pregnant and nursing women in the state.

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