Nurses’ knowledge and willingness to recommend malaria vaccination to caregivers of under-5 in Nigeria: a nationwide survey

Abstract Background Malaria is a major public health problem in Nigeria. This study set out to ascertain Nigerian nurses' knowledge and willingness to recommend malaria vaccination to caregivers of under-5 children. Methods This was a cross-sectional study carried out among nurses from all six...

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Main Authors: Olumide T. Adeleke, Mary A. Oboh, Oludamola V. Adeleke, Titilope A. Awotunde, Dolapo E. Ajala, Timothy K. Samson, Adepeju O. Adegoke
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-05-01
Series:Malaria Journal
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-025-05383-w
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author Olumide T. Adeleke
Mary A. Oboh
Oludamola V. Adeleke
Titilope A. Awotunde
Dolapo E. Ajala
Timothy K. Samson
Adepeju O. Adegoke
author_facet Olumide T. Adeleke
Mary A. Oboh
Oludamola V. Adeleke
Titilope A. Awotunde
Dolapo E. Ajala
Timothy K. Samson
Adepeju O. Adegoke
author_sort Olumide T. Adeleke
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Malaria is a major public health problem in Nigeria. This study set out to ascertain Nigerian nurses' knowledge and willingness to recommend malaria vaccination to caregivers of under-5 children. Methods This was a cross-sectional study carried out among nurses from all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on participants' demographics, their knowledge of the RTS S/AS01 and R21 Matrix M malaria vaccines, how they obtain malaria vaccine-related information, and the factors that the nurses consider when recommending any malaria vaccine. Univariate association between each of the demographics characteristics and the key research variables: knowledge of the vaccine and willingness to recommend was used. This was examined using the Chi-Square test and multiple logistic regression. Results The study found that nearly two out of every three nurses had poor knowledge and perception of the vaccines (p < 0.05). Awareness of the malaria vaccine was the only factor that was found to be associated with their knowledge (p <0.05). The odds of willingness to promote the vaccine were about 21 times higher among nurses with high perceptions of efficacy than their counterparts who have low perceptions. Conclusions The findings highlight major gaps in Nigerian nursing's knowledge and awareness of malaria vaccinations, as well as their willingness to recommend the vaccine to parents. Addressing these gaps will enable nurses to play a critical role in the successful implementation of malaria immunization campaigns, lowering the illness burden among vulnerable populations.
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spelling doaj-art-fa2f705ef23347ff8abff72be22a0e602025-08-20T02:15:15ZengBMCMalaria Journal1475-28752025-05-012411910.1186/s12936-025-05383-wNurses’ knowledge and willingness to recommend malaria vaccination to caregivers of under-5 in Nigeria: a nationwide surveyOlumide T. Adeleke0Mary A. Oboh1Oludamola V. Adeleke2Titilope A. Awotunde3Dolapo E. Ajala4Timothy K. Samson5Adepeju O. Adegoke6Department of Family Medicine, Bowen UniversityDepartment of Microbiology, Bowen UniversityClinical Nurse, Bowen University Hospital, Bowen UniversityDepartment of Maternal and Child Health, Bowen UniversityClinical Nurse, Bowen University Hospital, Bowen UniversityDepartment of Statistics, Bowen UniversityDepartment of Family Medicine, Bowen UniversityAbstract Background Malaria is a major public health problem in Nigeria. This study set out to ascertain Nigerian nurses' knowledge and willingness to recommend malaria vaccination to caregivers of under-5 children. Methods This was a cross-sectional study carried out among nurses from all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on participants' demographics, their knowledge of the RTS S/AS01 and R21 Matrix M malaria vaccines, how they obtain malaria vaccine-related information, and the factors that the nurses consider when recommending any malaria vaccine. Univariate association between each of the demographics characteristics and the key research variables: knowledge of the vaccine and willingness to recommend was used. This was examined using the Chi-Square test and multiple logistic regression. Results The study found that nearly two out of every three nurses had poor knowledge and perception of the vaccines (p < 0.05). Awareness of the malaria vaccine was the only factor that was found to be associated with their knowledge (p <0.05). The odds of willingness to promote the vaccine were about 21 times higher among nurses with high perceptions of efficacy than their counterparts who have low perceptions. Conclusions The findings highlight major gaps in Nigerian nursing's knowledge and awareness of malaria vaccinations, as well as their willingness to recommend the vaccine to parents. Addressing these gaps will enable nurses to play a critical role in the successful implementation of malaria immunization campaigns, lowering the illness burden among vulnerable populations.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-025-05383-wMalaria vaccineRTSS/AS01R21 Matrix-MNursesKnowledge
spellingShingle Olumide T. Adeleke
Mary A. Oboh
Oludamola V. Adeleke
Titilope A. Awotunde
Dolapo E. Ajala
Timothy K. Samson
Adepeju O. Adegoke
Nurses’ knowledge and willingness to recommend malaria vaccination to caregivers of under-5 in Nigeria: a nationwide survey
Malaria Journal
Malaria vaccine
RTS
S/AS01
R21 Matrix-M
Nurses
Knowledge
title Nurses’ knowledge and willingness to recommend malaria vaccination to caregivers of under-5 in Nigeria: a nationwide survey
title_full Nurses’ knowledge and willingness to recommend malaria vaccination to caregivers of under-5 in Nigeria: a nationwide survey
title_fullStr Nurses’ knowledge and willingness to recommend malaria vaccination to caregivers of under-5 in Nigeria: a nationwide survey
title_full_unstemmed Nurses’ knowledge and willingness to recommend malaria vaccination to caregivers of under-5 in Nigeria: a nationwide survey
title_short Nurses’ knowledge and willingness to recommend malaria vaccination to caregivers of under-5 in Nigeria: a nationwide survey
title_sort nurses knowledge and willingness to recommend malaria vaccination to caregivers of under 5 in nigeria a nationwide survey
topic Malaria vaccine
RTS
S/AS01
R21 Matrix-M
Nurses
Knowledge
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-025-05383-w
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