Clients’ satisfaction with immunisation services in the urban and rural primary health centres of a South-Eastern State in Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract Objectives: To determine clients’ satisfaction with immunisation services in the urban and rural primary health centres
of a South-eastern state in Nigeria

Methods: A three-stage sampling method was used to select 800 clients who presented with their children/wards to 18 of the 440
primary health centres. Exit interviews were conducted using an adapted, semi-structured questionnaire. A composite index of
satisfaction with immunisation services, denoted as true satisfaction, was assessed as the proportion of clients who reported being satisfied with the immunisation services received on the day of data collection, who were ready to use the health centre again for immunisation services, and who were willing to recommend the health centre to others for the same services.

Findings: The mean age of the clients was 28.9±4.5 and 26.7±5.1 years old in the urban and rural areas, respectively. The main
reasons why the clients chose the primary health centres for immunisation services were because of their proximity to the health
centres in the urban area (34.3%) and the availability of vaccines in the rural area (35.3%). The majority of clients in the urban (84.5%) and rural areas (94.3%) were truly satisfied with the immunisation services. A long waiting time and uncomfortable waiting areas were the major sources of dissatisfaction among the clients. Factors that were associated with the clients’ true satisfaction with immunisation services included being a client in an urban area (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=0.2, 95% confidence
interval (CI): 0.1-0.4), being married, (AOR=33.5, 95% CI: 12.7-88.1), being of the Igbo ethnic nationality (AOR=14.9, 95% CI: 3.9- 7.4), being a Christian (AOR=21.1, 95% CI: 2.9-154.6), and being in close proximity to the health centres (AOR=2.6, 95% CI: 1.5-4.4).

Conclusion: The waiting time needs to be reduced and the physical conditions of the waiting area need to be improved to reduce the clients’ dissatisfaction with the services, particularly in urban areas.

Keywords:Clients’ satisfaction, immunisation, primary health centres, urban and rural, Enugu State.