Impact of Traditional Healers on Child Vaccination in Haiti
Author Information
Author(s): Muula Adamson S, Polycarpe Martine Y, Job Jayakaran, Siziya Seter, Rudatsikira Emmanuel
Primary Institution: Department of Community Health, University of Malawi, College of Medicine
Hypothesis
Children whose mothers used the services of traditional healers were less likely to be vaccinated compared to children whose mothers did not use the services of traditional healers.
Conclusion
Mother's use of traditional healer services was negatively associated with vaccination of Haitian children.
Supporting Evidence
- Children whose mothers often or always used traditional healers had a 53% decrease in the odds of being fully vaccinated.
- Affiliation to Vodou was associated with a 54% decrease in the odds of being fully vaccinated.
- Living more than one hour from a health care facility was associated with a 66% decrease in vaccination odds.
Takeaway
Moms who go to traditional healers for help are less likely to get their kids vaccinated, which is important for keeping them healthy.
Methodology
A two-stage stratified sampling method was used to select 720 mothers, with 691 completing a survey on vaccination and traditional healer use.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to categorizing Vodou affiliation mutually exclusive with other religions.
Limitations
The study was cross-sectional, which limits causal inferences, and there may have been underreporting of traditional healer use.
Participant Demographics
Mean age of mothers was 28.9 years, with 42.6% aged 25-34 and 52.5% having elementary education.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.47
Confidence Interval
[0.27, 0.83]
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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