Do Maternal Characteristics and Demographics Affect Child Influenza Immunization Rates?

Child immunizations play a major role in the disease prevention and health maintenance of children. Focusing on the relationship between maternal characteristics and childhood immunization rates is important because mothers play a central role in the caregiving of children.5 The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristics of the mother, household, and child to determine which variables are significant in relation to the rate of childhood influenza immunizations. SAS callable SUDAAN was used to analyze the role of maternal characteristics, such as age, education, and marital status on the rate of childhood influenza immunizations. The study also looks at demographic variables, such as the household size, region in the US, and poverty status. Finally, it incorporates the child's age, sex, race/ethnicity, firstborn status, and insurance status. To test for significant differences and likelihoods Chi-square tests and Odds Ratios were used. Factors associated with child influenza vaccinations include women who were older when the child was born, with a higher education, and a greater income. Also, mothers who live in the Northeast were more likely to vaccinate their children. For factors related to the child, the first born child is (OR 1.2839, 1.1632, 1.4170) more likely to be vaccinated than subsequent children. Private insurance (OR 1.2935, 1.1275, 1.4840) and having no insurance (OR 0.7485, 0.6246, 0.8969) were significant to a child's immunization status. Understanding why mothers choose to or not to immunization their child can lead researchers and policy makers to develop programs to improve immunization education and delivery.