Effectiveness of individually tailored calendars in promoting childhood immunization in urban public health centers.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the effectiveness of tailored calendars in increasing childhood immunization rates.


METHODS
Parents of babies aged birth to 1 year (n = 321) received individually tailored calendars promoting immunization from 2 urban public health centers. For each baby, an age- and sex-matched control was selected from the same center. Immunization status was tracked through age 24 months.


RESULTS
A higher proportion of intervention than of control babies were up to date at the end of a 9-month enrollment period (82% vs 65%, P <.001) and at age 24 months (66% vs 47%, P <.001). The younger the baby's age at enrollment in the program, the greater was the intervention effect.


CONCLUSIONS
Tailored immunization calendars can help increase child immunization rates.
Kreuter
Matthew W
MW
Health Communication Research Laboratory, Division of Behavioral Science and Health Education, Department of Community Health, School of Public Health, Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO 63104, USA. kreuter@slu.edu
Caburnay
Charlene A
CA
Chen
John J
JJ
Donlin
Maureen J
MJ
D001741:Black or African American / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007223:Infant; D007224:Infant Care / Q000592:standards*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008923:Missouri; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D015397:Program Evaluation; D017010:Reminder Systems; D040241:Social Marketing; D013664:Teaching Materials; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration