Social determinants of routine immunization coverage of children aged 12 to 23 months in the Kaolack region of Senegal

introduction: The lowest immunization coverages (IC) are recorded in Africa, where health systems fail to take geographical disparities into account. The objective of this study was to identify the social determinants of routine immunization coverage for children aged 12 to 23 months in the Kaolack region. methodology: A cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study was conducted in four health districts of Kaolack region from 1 to 30 June 2014. A cluster survey was conducted. Data collection was based on a pretested questionnaire administered to mothers or guardians of children aged 12 to 23 months by trained and supervised interviewers. Bivariate analysis was performed using Epi Info 3.5.4 software. results: The sample included 849 mothers or guardians between the ages of 15 and 70 years with a mean age of 26.8 years (± 6.9). The majority of these women lived in rural areas (73.3%), were married (96.3%), with no income-generating activities (79.7%), literacy (62.5%) and had at least 4 children (75.1%). 20.1% of them were familiar with the immunization schedule, 87.9% could name at least one adverse event following injection (AEFI), 63.3% knew the EPI target diseases. The majority of women (91.3%) complied with the immunization schedule and attended the facility in case of missed appointments (52.3%). Only 39.1% of them reported AEFI and 59.7% provided home care. Those who lived in rural areas and who had income-generating activities (IGA) knew more about the immunization schedule (p lt;0.05). Those who lived in rural areas reported more AEFI (plt;0.05). Children of mothers educated in French, urban inhabitants with an IGA had better routine immunization coverage (p lt;0.05). conclusion: Social determinants such as education, economy and governance contribute to improved routine immunization coverage of children aged 12-23 months.