Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics, Taleghani Medical Center,
Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Note: [] Correspondence: Shahla Roodpeyma, M.D., Department of
Pediatrics, Taleghani Medical Center, Evin, Tehran 19875, Iran. Tel.: +98 21
22403583; Fax: +98 21 22401570; E-mail: roodpeyma_shahla@yahoo.com
Abstract: A knowledge, attitude and practice study on vaccination was
undertaken among Iranian mothers in pediatric clinic of a university medical
center in Tehran, between March and August 2005, and 668 mothers responded to a
questionnaire-based interview. The results showed a favorable attitude towards
children immunization in 95.5% of respondents. Nearly half (51.4%; 95%
confidence interval: 47.6%–55.2%) of mothers knew the name of the
diseases against which their children were being vaccinated. More than half
(67%) of respondents gave disproportionate importance to mild intercurrent
illness as a reason to defer immunization. About half of children
(341=51.1%) experienced vaccination delay. Results of logistic regression
analysis showed increase in: birth order, number of children in household, and
mother's age significantly predicted vaccination schedule non-adherence (P=0.02,
P=0.02 and P=0.04 to P=0.001 respectively) and increasing
mother's age was the most significant factor for vaccination delay. Educating
mothers about the vaccines and vaccine preventable diseases, and improving
their performance are recommended.
