Community-based intervention to improve measles vaccination completion in marginalised community settlements in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: a cluster randomised control trial

Abstract Background The COVID- 19 pandemic significantly impacted health services, particularly immunisation services, reducing the coverage of measles immunisation from the targeted 95%. This has resulted in post-pandemic measles outbreaks globally, and those at risk in Sabah are the marginalised p...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hazeqa Salleh, Richard Avoi, Haryati Abdul Karim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-04-01
Series:BMC Infectious Diseases
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-025-10902-w
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849726778698891264
author Hazeqa Salleh
Richard Avoi
Haryati Abdul Karim
author_facet Hazeqa Salleh
Richard Avoi
Haryati Abdul Karim
author_sort Hazeqa Salleh
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background The COVID- 19 pandemic significantly impacted health services, particularly immunisation services, reducing the coverage of measles immunisation from the targeted 95%. This has resulted in post-pandemic measles outbreaks globally, and those at risk in Sabah are the marginalised population, who encounter barriers when it comes to getting measles immunisation. In this study, a community-based intervention was implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based intervention in improving the measles-containing vaccine (MCV) completion rate and assessing the community’s acceptance of and satisfaction with the proposed intervention programme. Method The study applied a cluster randomised control trial (RCT). The intervention involved trained community volunteers who were trained on the reminder and recall strategy to help ensure the completion of the MCV among children in the community, where three doses of measles vaccine were provided when they were 6, 9, and 12 months of age. The intervention was administered in five settlements over a period of six months. As a comparison, another five settlements were provided with regular vaccination health services. The rates of MCV completion between the intervention group versus control group that received regular vaccination health services were then compared. The community’s acceptance of and satisfaction with the intervention were assessed using a validated Acceptability of Intervention Measure-Intervention Appropriateness Measure-Feasibility of Intervention Measure (AIM-IAM-FIM) and Client Satisfaction Questionnaire 8 (CSQ- 8). Result The findings of the study showed that the rate of completion of the three doses of measles vaccine was slightly higher among those who received the intervention (80.4%) with a lower percentage having received one dose (2.6%) and no dose at all compared to those who only received routine healthcare services. Furthermore, the odds of having completed the MCV increased by three times for those who received the intervention (AOR: 2.848, 95% CI: 0.176, 45.996), although it was not significant. There was also a six-fold increase in the satisfaction score among those who received the community-based intervention compared to those who received the routine vaccination services (p = < 0.001, 95% CI = 2.634, 8.919). Finally, the majority (97%) of those in the community accepted the implemented intervention. Conclusion A community-based intervention has the potential to enhance the completion of MCV, but it has to be refined further to be successful. The findings of this study can provide information to policy makers and implementers of vaccination programmes regarding the importance of engaging marginalised communities and ensuring their acceptance of and satisfaction with the intervention to achieve the desired target. Trial Registration This study was retrospectively registered at the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) Registry (ISRCTN12774704) on 17 th November 2023.
format Article
id doaj-art-9769a8175cc040e8ac458240bc4d85bb
institution DOAJ
issn 1471-2334
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series BMC Infectious Diseases
spelling doaj-art-9769a8175cc040e8ac458240bc4d85bb2025-08-20T03:10:05ZengBMCBMC Infectious Diseases1471-23342025-04-0125111310.1186/s12879-025-10902-wCommunity-based intervention to improve measles vaccination completion in marginalised community settlements in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: a cluster randomised control trialHazeqa Salleh0Richard Avoi1Haryati Abdul Karim2Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University Malaysia SabahDepartment of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University Malaysia SabahCommunications Programme, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, University Malaysia SabahAbstract Background The COVID- 19 pandemic significantly impacted health services, particularly immunisation services, reducing the coverage of measles immunisation from the targeted 95%. This has resulted in post-pandemic measles outbreaks globally, and those at risk in Sabah are the marginalised population, who encounter barriers when it comes to getting measles immunisation. In this study, a community-based intervention was implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based intervention in improving the measles-containing vaccine (MCV) completion rate and assessing the community’s acceptance of and satisfaction with the proposed intervention programme. Method The study applied a cluster randomised control trial (RCT). The intervention involved trained community volunteers who were trained on the reminder and recall strategy to help ensure the completion of the MCV among children in the community, where three doses of measles vaccine were provided when they were 6, 9, and 12 months of age. The intervention was administered in five settlements over a period of six months. As a comparison, another five settlements were provided with regular vaccination health services. The rates of MCV completion between the intervention group versus control group that received regular vaccination health services were then compared. The community’s acceptance of and satisfaction with the intervention were assessed using a validated Acceptability of Intervention Measure-Intervention Appropriateness Measure-Feasibility of Intervention Measure (AIM-IAM-FIM) and Client Satisfaction Questionnaire 8 (CSQ- 8). Result The findings of the study showed that the rate of completion of the three doses of measles vaccine was slightly higher among those who received the intervention (80.4%) with a lower percentage having received one dose (2.6%) and no dose at all compared to those who only received routine healthcare services. Furthermore, the odds of having completed the MCV increased by three times for those who received the intervention (AOR: 2.848, 95% CI: 0.176, 45.996), although it was not significant. There was also a six-fold increase in the satisfaction score among those who received the community-based intervention compared to those who received the routine vaccination services (p = < 0.001, 95% CI = 2.634, 8.919). Finally, the majority (97%) of those in the community accepted the implemented intervention. Conclusion A community-based intervention has the potential to enhance the completion of MCV, but it has to be refined further to be successful. The findings of this study can provide information to policy makers and implementers of vaccination programmes regarding the importance of engaging marginalised communities and ensuring their acceptance of and satisfaction with the intervention to achieve the desired target. Trial Registration This study was retrospectively registered at the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) Registry (ISRCTN12774704) on 17 th November 2023.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-025-10902-wPublic health interventionsCommunity participationMeasles immunisation programmeSocial determinants of health
spellingShingle Hazeqa Salleh
Richard Avoi
Haryati Abdul Karim
Community-based intervention to improve measles vaccination completion in marginalised community settlements in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: a cluster randomised control trial
BMC Infectious Diseases
Public health interventions
Community participation
Measles immunisation programme
Social determinants of health
title Community-based intervention to improve measles vaccination completion in marginalised community settlements in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: a cluster randomised control trial
title_full Community-based intervention to improve measles vaccination completion in marginalised community settlements in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: a cluster randomised control trial
title_fullStr Community-based intervention to improve measles vaccination completion in marginalised community settlements in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: a cluster randomised control trial
title_full_unstemmed Community-based intervention to improve measles vaccination completion in marginalised community settlements in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: a cluster randomised control trial
title_short Community-based intervention to improve measles vaccination completion in marginalised community settlements in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah: a cluster randomised control trial
title_sort community based intervention to improve measles vaccination completion in marginalised community settlements in kota kinabalu sabah a cluster randomised control trial
topic Public health interventions
Community participation
Measles immunisation programme
Social determinants of health
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-025-10902-w
work_keys_str_mv AT hazeqasalleh communitybasedinterventiontoimprovemeaslesvaccinationcompletioninmarginalisedcommunitysettlementsinkotakinabalusabahaclusterrandomisedcontroltrial
AT richardavoi communitybasedinterventiontoimprovemeaslesvaccinationcompletioninmarginalisedcommunitysettlementsinkotakinabalusabahaclusterrandomisedcontroltrial
AT haryatiabdulkarim communitybasedinterventiontoimprovemeaslesvaccinationcompletioninmarginalisedcommunitysettlementsinkotakinabalusabahaclusterrandomisedcontroltrial