ORIGINAL: Knowledge, Risk Perception and Prevention against Diphtheria among Caregivers of Children under-fives in Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria

West Afr J Med. July 2025; 42(7): 542-551 PMID: 41370241

Abstract

Background: Diphtheria, a re-emerging public health threat, is a vaccine-preventable acute respiratory infection caused by toxigenic strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Caregivers of this most vulnerable group must be knowledgeable of the disease, its risk factors, and preventive measures to curb its spread.

Objectives: To determine the knowledge, risk perception and prevention against diphtheria among caregivers of under fives.

Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in January 2024. A total of 288 caregivers of children under five years of age were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique, and data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 27, and results were presented in tables. The chi-square test was used to test for association between the socio-demographic variables and dependent variables, and the level of statistical significance was set at a p-value of <0.05.

Results: The median age of the respondents was 32 ± IQR 10.8 years. About half (51.7%) of the respondents had good knowledge of diphtheria, positive perception of the risk of the disease was reported in 77.1% of the respondents and 75.6% had good practice of the preventive measures against the disease. A quarter (26.8%) of the respondent's children took the complete 3 doses of the pentavalent vaccine.

Conclusion: Despite positive diphtheria prevention behaviors, the identified gap in pentavalent vaccination coverage indicates a significant need for community immunization programs. Investigating the factors contributing to this low coverage is crucial for developing effective strategies to strengthen immunization programs.