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Maternal recall error of child vaccination status in a developing nation

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  • Valadez, J.J.
  • Weld, L.H.

Abstract

In the absence of vaccination card data, Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) managers sometimes ask mothers for their children's vaccination histories. The magnitude of maternal recall error and its potential impact on public health policy has not been investigated. In this study of 1171 Costa Rican mothers, we compare mothers' recall with vaccination card data for their children younger than 3 years. Analyses of vaccination coverage distributions constructed with recall and vaccination-card data show that recall can be used to estimate population coverage. Although the two data sources are correlated (r = .71), the magnitude of their difference can affect the identification of the vaccination status of an individual child. Maternal recall error was greater than two doses 14% of the time. This error is negatively correlated with the number of doses recorded on the vaccination card (r = -.61) and is weakly correlated with the child's age (r = -.35). Mothers tended to remember accurately the vaccination status of children younger than 6 months, but with older children, the larger the number of doses actually received, the more the mother underestimated the number of doses. No other variables explained recall error. Therefore, reliance on maternal recall could lead to revaccinating children who are already protected, leaving at risk those most vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases.

Suggested Citation

  • Valadez, J.J. & Weld, L.H., 1992. "Maternal recall error of child vaccination status in a developing nation," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 82(1), pages 120-123.
  • Handle: RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:1992:82:1:120-123_6
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    Cited by:

    1. Hajizadeh, Mohammad & Heymann, Jody & Strumpf, Erin & Harper, Sam & Nandi, Arijit, 2015. "Paid maternity leave and childhood vaccination uptake: Longitudinal evidence from 20 low-and-middle-income countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 104-117.
    2. Yu Hu & Yaping Chen & Ying Wang & Hui Liang, 2019. "Validity of Maternal Recall to Assess Vaccination Coverage: Evidence from Six Districts in Zhejiang Province, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-9, March.
    3. Nina B. Masters & Abram L. Wagner & Bradley F. Carlson & Sheru W. Muuo & Martin K. Mutua & Matthew L. Boulton, 2019. "Childhood vaccination in Kenya: socioeconomic determinants and disparities among the Somali ethnic community," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 64(3), pages 313-322, April.
    4. Anastasia Gage & A. Sommerfelt & Andrea Piani, 1997. "Household structure and childhood immunization in Niger and Nigeria," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 34(2), pages 295-309, May.
    5. Barham, Tania & Maluccio, John A., 2009. "Eradicating diseases: The effect of conditional cash transfers on vaccination coverage in rural Nicaragua," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 611-621, May.
    6. Theodora-Ismene Gizelis & Xun Cao, 2021. "A security dividend: Peacekeeping and maternal health outcomes and access," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 58(2), pages 263-278, March.

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