Effects of maternal and provider characteristics on up-to-date immunization status of children aged 19 to 35 months.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the effects of maternal and provider characteristics on the up-to-date immunization status of children.


METHODS
We used data from the 2003 National Immunization Survey to determine variations in children's up-to-date status in the 4:3:1:3 immunization series.


RESULTS
Low maternal educational levels and low socioeconomic status were associated with high 4:3:1:3 series completion rates. Also, completion rates were high in Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black families with low income-to-poverty ratios.


CONCLUSIONS
We found that children of less educated mothers and children in Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black families with low income-to-poverty ratios were more likely to have completed the 4:3:1:3 series. Although the reasons for these results need further exploration in other data sets, possible factors are Hispanics' positive cultural attitudes regarding the needs and importance of young children and provision of information on immunizations to low-income minority mothers who access government-subsidized health care programs.
Kim
Sam S
SS
Department of Sociology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-3701, USA.
Frimpong
Jemima A
JA
Rivers
Patrick A
PA
Kronenfeld
Jennie J
JJ
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007223:Infant; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000208:ethnology; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011203:Poverty; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012923:Social Class; D014481:United States; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044465:White People