comparative study of paternal and maternal roles in completeness of immunization among children aged 0-18 months

In indonesia, the complete basic immunization coverage remains low, indicating that the country's immunization efforts are still falling short. this issue is critical because incomplete immunization increases the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases among children, posing significant public health challenges. it is essential to explore the roles of both parents in ensuring that children receive all recommended vaccinations, as fathers are increasingly playing a more active role in child health decisions alongside mothers. this study aims to investigate whether there are significant differences between paternal and maternal knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the completeness of childhood immunization. using a cross-sectional research design, validated questionnaires were administered to fathers and mothers with children aged 0-18 months in surabaya and sumenep. a total of 240 children met the inclusion criteria. the results revealed that a majority of children in surabaya (60%) and sumenep (76.7%) had incomplete immunizations, highlighting a pressing need for improved strategies to enhance vaccination coverage. mothers demonstrated greater knowledge about immunization compared to fathers, with 52.5% in surabaya and 70.8% in sumenep, versus 35% and 60% for fathers, respectively. however, both fathers and mothers generally exhibited positive attitudes and practices toward immunization, with no statistically significant differences observed in their roles regarding the completeness of childhood immunization in terms of knowledge (p=0.129 and p=0.159), attitudes (p=0.531 and p=0.427), and practices (p=0.149 and p=0.889).