Socio-anthropological analysis of the psychosocial determinants of polio vaccination in Kabalabougou and Sangarébougou in the Kati district of Mali

Abstract

This article is based on our doctoral thesis on the psychosocial determinants of polio vaccination in children in the Kabalabougou and Sangarébougou health areas of the Kati health district in Mali. It analyzes parental behavioral factors regarding this vaccination. According to the 6th edition of the Malian Demographic and Health Survey (EDSM VI), 54% of children aged 12 to 23 months received the third dose of polio through routine immunization. The objective of this research was to describe the psychosocial determinants of polio vaccination in children in the Sangarébougou and Kabalabougou health areas. This was a qualitative socio-anthropological study conducted in May 2018. The study population consisted of elderly women (musokↄrↄbaw), elderly men (cɛkↄrↄbaw), and mothers of children aged 0 to 59 months. Data collection was carried out using focus groups with a total of 160 participants. The socio-anthropological analysis of the psychosocial determinants of childhood polio vaccination in the two health areas shows that the parents of the children surveyed have a good understanding of this disease. Almost all of the parents had a positive perception and attitude toward vaccination. Most of them experienced positive influences from health workers and relatives in their participation in vaccination and carried it out under easy conditions. At the end of our study, we found that the various psychosocial factors examined influenced parents' participation in polio vaccination, either positively or negatively. It is essential to raise their awareness of the crucial role of vaccination in preventing infectious diseases.