Tetanus seroprevalance of women aged between 15-49 in Karagedik village of Ankara

121 SUMMARY Neonatal tetanus is an important health problem for developing countries. Turkey is the only country in the Europe Region where neonatal tetanus is still endemic. The aim of this study was to determine the tetanus antibody level in 15-49 age group women in Karagedik disrict in Gölbaşı region. This is a cross-sectional study conducted in 431 women. A questionnaire form was filled for each woman and venous blood samples were collected. ELISA technique was used for tetanus antibody determination. 69.6 % of 431 evaluated women had at least one dose of vaccination. 75.0% of the vaccinated women remembered the number of doses. The percentages of non-vaccination women were greatest in 40-49 age group women, illiterate women, and widow/divorced women with 54.3%, 51.3% and 50.0% respectively. 62.7% of women who remembered the number of doses takes had a history of 3 and over doses of vaccination. The percentages were greatest in 30-34 age group women with 88.3%, illiterate group with 80.0% and, married group with 74.0%. 231 women (53.6%) had sufficient, 200 women had insufficient levels of tetanus antibody, and positive vaccination history in these groups were 83.1% and 52.0% respectively. There was statistically significant difference between immunization level with respect to tetanus vaccination (p<0.001). The tetanus sufficent antibody level in vaccinated group was found 4.41 times higher than non-vaccinated group. The percentages of women with a sufficent antibody level was greatest in 30-34 age group women (77.1%) and was lowest in 45-49 age group women (8.3%).122 67.1% of women who remembered the number of doses, and 56.0% of women who did not remember the number of doses, and 29.0% of non-vaccinated women had sufficent levels of tetanus antibody. There was a statistically significant difference between percent of women with sufficent levels of antibody with respect to age groups and vaccination status (p<0.001). The percent of women with sufficent levels of antibody was low in non-vaccinated women. 54.8% of women who had less than 3 doses of vaccination, and 74.5% of women who had at least 3 doses had sufficent levels of antibody. There was a statistically significant difference between percent sufficent levels of antibody with respect to doses of vaccination (p<0.05). The percent of women with sufficent levels of antibody was high in 3 doses of vaccination. Arithmetic mean of the tetanus antitoxin IgG antibody consentration is lowest in 40-44 and 45-49 age group women (0.67±1.03 and ve 0.25+0.20 respectively). Turkey can join the countries which eliminated of neonatal tetanus, if it applies the strategies included in the Neonatal Tetanus Elimination Programme by a consistent policy.