FACTORS INFLUENCING COMPLIANCE WITH IMMUNIZATION SCHEDULE AMONG MOTHERS IN OWO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ONDO STATE.

Introduction: This study assessed the factors influencing compliance to immunization schedule among mothers in Owo local government, Ondo State. Childhood immunizations represent one of the most effective public health interventions, significantly reducing the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases and saving millions of lives worldwide each year. Maternal knowledge and compliance with immunization schedules play a pivotal role in ensuring the success of vaccination programs and safeguarding the health of young children. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional research design and simple random sampling technique was adopted for this study. A self-structured questionnaire was employed for data collection. A sample size of 179 respondents were selected. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0 was used for data analysis. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The mean ± SD age of participants was 34±0.702 years. The study showed a good knowledge level of 71.5% and good compliance of 56.4% among respondents. The factors associated with compliance to the immunization schedule include forgetting appointments, distance of immunization centre from home, and misconceptions regarding immunization. The findings from this study shows that there is a significant relationship between mothers’ level of knowledge of immunization and compliance to immunization schedule (X2 =92.351, df =2, p< 0.05). Conclusion: The study showed that the respondents had good knowledge and moderate compliance to immunization schedule. The researcher recommends that awareness campaigns should be carried out targeting mothers to improve their knowledge and understanding of immunization schedules, vaccine-preventable diseases, and vaccine safety.