Abstract

Background: People of all ages can get tetanus but the disease is particularly common and serious in neonatal tetanus. Neonatal tetanus can be prevented by immunizing women of childbearing age with tetanus toxoid, either during pregnancy or outside of pregnancy. Moreover, Maternal and neonatal tetanus is still the major public health problem in about 25 countries, mainly in Africa and Asia. However, the utilization of intervention strategies, like tetanus toxoid immunization/TTI/remains low in these countries.

Objective: To assess Tetanus Toxoid immunization practice of childbearing age women among the women of Shashemene town, Southern Ethiopia, 2017.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1^st to March 30^th, 2017 on childbearing age women who live in the study area for at least six months. Based on a simple random sampling technique five Kebeles (local name small district) were selected. The sample size was determined by single population proportion formula and accordingly, the study population with non-respondents was 403 women. To address these study a systematic sampling technique was applied. A semi-structured questionnaire was distributed for each woman.

Result: The study indicated that the response rate of the study was 97.52% (n = 393). Of these, majority of them i.e. 48.6% (n = 191) between 24 and 32 years old; 54.96% (n = 216) of them housewife; 27.23% (n = 107) attended secondary school; 74.05% (n = 291) of them married; and 30.58% (n = 89) of them merchant. The study also revealed that 11.96% (n = 47) were not took even one dose of tetanus Toxoid immunization, 44.53% (n = 175) of them were on vaccination and 23.15%) (n = 91) of them started to take immunization but discontinued and 20.36% (n = 80) had completed their immunization.

Conclusion: The study concluded that the majority of the respondents took three doses of Tetanus Toxoid immunization vaccination. However, certain women were not taken valid Tetanus Toxoid immunization dose. Thus, the authors suggested that regular and frequent health education for the general community and childbearing age women, in particular, encourages further improvement.

Keywords: Childbearing Age; Immunization; Neonatal; Tetanus Toxoid

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