Iranian Journal of

Background and Objectives: The campaign to eliminate measles and rubella (MR) is one of the most important current health projects in Iran. One of the basic requirements of this program is the creation of an efficient system for collecting data on MR morbidity and mortality, people's knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) regarding MR prevention, and people's participation in the eradication drive. The present study was done to assess people's knowledge, attitude and practice in relation to the current anti-MR campaign.
Materials and Methods: This cross- sectional study was carried out fur months after the mass (anti-MR campaign (performed in May 2004). The target population included at the people aged 20-25y who lived in areas covered by Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services. The calculated sample size was 384, using a 2-stage sampling procedure. We used X2 tests, odds ratios and confidence intervals to detect relationships between various categorical variables. We also performed Cronbach's alpha test to assess questionnaire reliability, and principal component analysis to ensure construct validity.
Results: Data were collected on 390 individuals. The percentages of people with an acceptable level of knowledge, attitude and practice were 63.3%, 53.6% and 93.1% respectively. After controlling for confounders in a logistic regression model, it became apparent that knowledge concerning the mass immunization campaign was related to the individual's own education and that of his/her mother. Attitude was found to be affected by factors such as education, marital status and the family's main income level. The practice component, on the other hand, was not significantly related to any of the variables included in this study.
Conclusion: The positive achievements of this program should be used in planning any future immunization campaigns. Particular attention should be paid to factors that affect overall coverage. These include human resources, equipment, vaccines and other materials, service uality, the cold chain, information provided to the public, and people's as well as providers' knowledge of the immunization program, the target diseases (s) and the vaccines.