Table 3.
Responses of reproductive-age women in Alexandria to the different belief items of the HBM, 2018
| HBM constructs (n = 700) | Agree | Not sure | Disagree |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | |
| Perceived susceptibility | |||
| I feel that me and my child are susceptible to tetanus. | 23.7 | 52.9 | 23.4 |
| Tetanus can affect me and my child despite my delivery in equipped places. | 17.9 | 42.5 | 39.6 |
| Tetanus can affect me and my child whatever the method of delivery (normal or CS). | 20.3 | 69.6 | 10.1 |
| If I am in good health and have strong immunity then I am not susceptible to the disease. | 50.1 | 30.6 | 19.3 |
| If I am living in a clean place with my child then I am not susceptible to disease. | 51.3 | 31.7 | 17.0 |
| Neonatal tetanus can affect my child under any circumstances even if I was careful. | 13.0 | 44.0 | 43.0 |
| Perceived severity | |||
| Tetanus is severely dangerous for me and my child. | 28.6 | 70.4 | 1.0 |
| My child may die if affected by neonatal tetanus. | 14.3 | 85.7 | 0.0 |
| My child can have permanent disability if infected by neonatal tetanus. | 10.0 | 88.3 | 1.7 |
| I can face many difficulties if my child gets infected by neonatal tetanus. | 38.7 | 61.0 | 0.3 |
| Infection of my child with tetanus can affect my social relationship. | 55.0 | 40.7 | 4.3 |
| Even the thought of infection of my child by the disease makes me worried. | 96.7 | 2.6 | 0.7 |
| Perceived barriers | |||
| I feel that the vaccination is not useful and effective. | 64.0 | 20.0 | 16.0 |
| I am busy and I have no time to go and take the vaccine. | 32.9 | 23.3 | 43.8 |
| I worry about the vaccine side effects. | 14.6 | 13.0 | 72.4 |
| I believe that vaccination during pregnancy may cause congenital anomalies. | 71.1 | 23.7 | 5.2 |
| I believe that vaccination may cause infertility. | 65.4 | 27.5 | 7.1 |
| I believe that vaccination may cause abortion if taken during pregnancy. | 50.4 | 42.3 | 7.3 |
| I do not know about tetanus vaccine. | 73.1 | 10.0 | 16.9 |
| I do not know the place and time of vaccination. | 65.1 | 15.8 | 19.1 |
| Tetanus vaccine is not always available. | 30.7 | 43.4 | 25.9 |
| I believe that the vaccine may cause the disease instead of preventing it. | 18.6 | 74.3 | 7.1 |
| The nurse who gives the vaccine is not always present. | 25.9 | 53.0 | 21.1 |
| I fear injections. | 7.7 | 10.0 | 82.3 |
| The behavior of the staff in health office is not good. | 10.4 | 15.4 | 74.2 |
| Perceived benefits | |||
| The vaccine protects me and my child from tetanus. | 73.3 | 26.4 | 0.3 |
| Taking the vaccine is part of my duty towards my child. | 88.3 | 11.3 | 0.4 |
| Taking the vaccine makes me feel safe about myself and my child under any circumstances. | 87.6 | 12.0 | 0.4 |
| Self-efficacy | |||
| I am confident I will take the vaccine in its time whatever the barriers. | 73.6 | 26.3 | 0.1 |
| I can commit to taking all doses of vaccine under any circumstances. | 70.1 | 29.7 | 0.2 |
| I am capable of getting all information I need about the vaccine. | 72.4 | 27.6 | 0.0 |
| I can tolerate the side effects of the vaccine. | 74.9 | 24.2 | 0.9 |