'I Never Made a Decision on My Own:' The Role of Social Networks in Women's Household Compounds of a Polio Vaccine Uptake Study

Abstract

The voices of women, especially mothers of young children, their relatives, and friends are crucial for making decisions within household compounds about the health care of children. Based on field surveys of household compounds in Bauchi and Kano, we found that many mothers of young children rely on the social networks within household compounds to make crucial decisions about whether or not accept polio vaccinations. This paper examines some of the dynamics of women’s social communication networks within household compounds.