Parental Beliefs Towards the Utilization of Childhood Immunization in Barangay Malanday, Marikina City

Abstract

Background: Childhood immunization prevents vaccine-preventable diseases, but completion of the recommended vaccines remains uneven in some communities. Objective: To determine parental beliefs towards the utilization of childhood immunization in Barangay Malanday, Marikina City, and to examine differences according to demographic profile. Methods: A quantitative descriptive-comparative design was used. Data were collected from 183 parents or guardians selected through simple random sampling. The self-made questionnaire covered demographic characteristics, utilization of seven childhood vaccines, and 24 items under six Health Belief Model constructs. The instrument obtained a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.855. Frequencies, percentages, weighted means, t tests, and one-way analysis of variance were used. Results: Average vaccine utilization was 84.00%, interpreted as Moderate Utilization. Hepatitis B and BCG had the highest utilization, while Pentavalent had the lowest. Parental beliefs were rated Strongly Agree, with a grand mean of 3.33. Beliefs did not differ significantly across demographic groups. Utilization differed significantly by age and socioeconomic status, but not by sex or educational attainment. No significant relationship was found between parental beliefs and utilization. Conclusion: The respondents held positive beliefs about childhood immunization, although the use of all recommended vaccines was not consistently high. Follow-up and community support remain important in helping families complete childhood immunization schedules.

Keywords: childhood immunization; Health Belief Model; parental beliefs; vaccine utilization; public health nu