Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 29, 2026
Noninvasive Sampling of Mucosal Lining Fluid for the Quantification of In Vivo Upper Airway Immune-mediator Levels
Published on: August 7, 2017
Predictors of vaccination in India for children aged 12-36 months
Nijika Shrivastwa1, Brenda W Gillespie2, Giselle E Kolenic2
1Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.
Insights
India
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Global Health
Background:
- India faces low childhood immunization rates despite a Universal Immunization Program (UIP).
- Understanding vaccination disparities is crucial for improving child health outcomes.
- This study identifies key factors influencing vaccination status in Indian children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize predictors of under- and non-vaccination among Indian children aged 12-36 months.
- To identify demographic, cultural, and socioeconomic factors associated with incomplete childhood immunizations.
- To inform targeted interventions for enhancing vaccine uptake in India.
Main Methods:
- Utilized District Level Household and Facility Survey Data (DLHS3) from India (2008).
- Analyzed vaccination status (fully, under-, non-vaccinated) for 108,057 children aged 12-36 months.
- Employed multinomial logistic regression to assess predictors including socioeconomic, cultural, maternal, and household characteristics.
Main Results:
- Only 57% of children were fully vaccinated; 31% were under-vaccinated, and 12% were non-vaccinated.
- Significant predictors included religion, caste, place of delivery, antenatal care visits, and maternal tetanus vaccination.
- These factors demonstrated large effect sizes after adjusting for residence, age, gender, wealth, and maternal education.
Conclusions:
- India's immunization coverage in 2008 was suboptimal, with over 40% of children not fully vaccinated.
- Identifying predictors like religion, caste, and maternal care is essential for reducing vaccination disparities.
- Targeted strategies addressing these predictors can improve full vaccination rates among diverse child populations.
Introduction:
India has one of the lowest immunization rates worldwide despite a longstanding Universal Immunization Program (UIP) that provides free childhood vaccines. This study characterizes the predictors for under- and non-vaccination among Indian children aged 12-36 months.
Methods:
This study utilized District Level Household and Facility Survey Data, 2008 (DLHS3), from India. DLHS3 is a nationally representative sample collected from December 2007 through December 2008; this analysis was conducted during 2014. Children's vaccination status was categorized as fully, under-, and non-vaccinated based on whether children received all, some, or none of the UIP-recommended vaccines (one dose each of bacillus Calmette-Guérin and measles, and three doses of diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus). A multinomial logistic regression model estimated the odds of undervaccination compared with full vaccination, and odds of non-vaccination compared with full vaccination. Analytic predictors included socioeconomic, cultural, household, maternal, and childhood characteristics.
Results:
The analysis included 108,057 children; the estimated proportions of fully, under-, and non-vaccinated children were 57%, 31%, and 12%, respectively. After adjusting for state of residence, age, gender, household wealth, and maternal education, additional significant predictors of children's vaccination status were religion, caste, place of delivery, number of antenatal care visits, and maternal tetanus vaccination, all of which demonstrated large effect sizes.
Conclusions:
India's immunization coverage remained low in 2008, with just slightly more than half of all children aged 12-36 months fully vaccinated with UIP-recommended vaccines. A better understanding of the predictors for vaccination can help shape interventions to reduce disparities in full vaccination among children of differing demographic/cultural groups.
Related Concept Videos
01:51Vaccinations
01:21Vaccines
01:26Factors Affecting the Risk of Infection
The integrity and count of the white blood cells help the body resist pathogens and fight infection. When impaired, it reduces the body's resistance to pathogens. The acidic pH levels of the gastrointestinal, genitourinary tracts, and skin...
01:28Infectious Diseases and Their Occurrence
01:22Healthcare Associated Infections II: Preventive Measures
The best practices for preventing healthcare-associated infections include hand hygiene, patient risk...
01:30Preventive Healthcare Services