بكالوريوس / Bachelor's

Research SummaryFactors Associated with Incomplete Routine Childhood Immunization Among Children Aged12–59 Months in Dongola City, Northern State, Sudan — 2026Study overviewThis research proposal aims to identify the factors associated with incomplete routinechildhood immunization among children aged 12–59 months living in Dongola City in 2026. Itfocuses on understanding why some children miss one or more scheduled vaccine doses,including children who have received no routine vaccines.Main objectiveTo determine the factors associated with incomplete routine childhood immunization amongchildren aged 12–59 months in Dongola City, Northern State, Sudan, in 2026.Specific objectives1 Determine the proportion of children with incomplete routine immunization, includingzero-dose children.2 Describe the sociodemographic characteristics of caregivers, households and children.3 Assess caregivers’ knowledge of and perceptions toward routine childhoodimmunization.4 Examine associations between incomplete immunization and caregiver, household,health-service and household decision-making factors, and describe reasons for missedor delayed vaccination.5 Identify independent predictors of incomplete routine childhood immunization usingmultivariable analysis.How will the study be conducted?• Design: Community-based, household-level descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study.• Study population: Children aged 12–59 months in Dongola City; the mother or primarycaregiver will answer the questionnaire.• Sample size: 248 children, including a 10% allowance for non-response.• Data collection: Face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Vaccinationcards will be checked first; caregiver recall and BCG scar assessment may be used if acard is unavailable.• Analysis: SPSS, descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and logistic regression, includingmultivariable analysis to identify independent predictors.Why is this research important?The study will provide local evidence about the extent of incomplete childhood immunizationin Dongola City and the barriers linked to it. The findings may help the State ExpandedProgramme on Immunization (EPI) and the City Health Office plan more targetedimprovements in caregiver education, access to services, vaccine availability and familysupport for vaccination.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONSResearch Proposal: Factors Associated with Incomplete Routine Childhood Immunization AmongChildren Aged 12–59 Months in Dongola City, Northern State, Sudan: 2026Ethical Considerations (Section 4.10)● Approval of the proposal will be sought from the Department of Community Medicine and theresearch/ethics committee of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University ofDongola.● Permission to conduct the study will be obtained from the Northern State Ministry of Health, theDongola City Health Office/Locality, and the health unit(s) in the selected areas.● The purpose and procedures of the study will be explained to every caregiver, and informedconsent (Annex A) will be obtained before the interview. Participation is voluntary, and thecaregiver may refuse or withdraw at any time without any consequence.● No names or identifying information will be recorded on the questionnaire; data will be keptconfidential, used for research only, and stored securely by the researchers.● The study involves no invasive procedure. Caregivers whose child is found to have missedvaccines will be advised and referred to the nearest health facility for catch-up vaccination.

No Risk

Factors Associated with Incomplete Routine Childhood Immunization Among Children Aged 12–59 Months in Dongola City, Northern State, Sudan: 2026 Benefits to Participants (Caregivers and Children) • Caregivers receive advice about their child's vaccines. • If any vaccine is missing, caregivers are told where to go to get it. • Children found to have missed vaccines are referred to the nearest health facility for catch-up vaccination. • There is no risk to the participant: the study involves no invasive procedure and the interview takes about 15 minutes. • Participation is voluntary and confidential, and has no effect on the services the family receives. Benefits to the Community and Health System • It will provide the first city-level estimate of incomplete routine immunization (including zero-dose children) among children aged 12–59 months in Dongola, which can serve as a baseline for the EPI programme. • By identifying the factors independently associated with incomplete immunization, it will show which barriers are modifiable (for example knowledge, waiting time, vaccine availability, male involvement) and can be addressed by the State Ministry of Health and the City Health Office. • It will provide local evidence so that the State EPI programme and the City Health Office can target their limited resources effectively. • It supports strategies with some supporting evidence, such as health education, community leader involvement and integration of services. • It supports the global zero-dose and equity agenda of Immunization Agenda 2030 by describing who is being missed, including families affected by the ongoing conflict. • It uses a structured, comparable set of variables drawn from studies in similar African settings, allowing the results to be compared with those settings. Benefit to the Researchers • It fulfils the requirements of the graduation research project of the Department of Community Medicine and trains the authors in community-based research methods