Effective influence tools on the commitment of parents to immunize children under the age of 7 (based on analysis of immunization against polio in Ukraine)

Year of research: 2016 - 2017
Customer: The project is supported under grant program TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases, sponsored by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), UNDP, World Bank and WHO

The study was held to examine opinions of parents/guardians on the necessity of child’s vaccination, the difficulties in complying with “immunization schedule,” including access to a routine vaccination for the families displaced from the military actions zone.

To get a more real empirical base, we used several data collection methods, while the obtained results were triangulated (correlated) with each other:

  1. Structured interviews with parents. The sample is600 respondents.
  2. Semi-structured interviews with health workers. In this study we interviewed 200 health workers, including:
  • 100 polling doctors-pediatricians, family doctors serving children aged 0-6;
  • 100 nurses who assist to doctors-pediatricians, family doctors, nurses of vaccination rooms.

3. Focus groups with parents. A total of 3 focus groups held at places of compact residence of internally displaced persons, namely – one focus group in Boryspil (Kyiv region), one in Kyiv city, and one in Cherkasy city.

4. In-depth interviews with experts, decision-makers in the health sector, including representatives of the Ministry of Health, municipal and district health authorities, as well as leaders of civil society organizations involved in the protection of patients’ rights, leaders of associations of young parents, etc. A total of 10 in-depth interviews were held.

5. Analysis of social networks content was used as an additional method of gathering information regarding the attitudes and motives of young parents about the vaccination of children against polio, the sources of information they trust in this matter, etc. A total of 16 pages in social networks were analyzed.

Based on the results of the study we developed three documents:

  1. Recommendations for the media campaign strategy.
  2. Training module for health workers.
  3. Training module for nurses.
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