scholarly journals Examining Australian public perceptions and behaviors towards a future COVID-19 vaccine

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Seale ◽  
Anita E Heywood ◽  
Julie Leask ◽  
Meru Sheel ◽  
David N Durrheim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Private Health Insurance ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Public ◽  
Individual Perceptions ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Early Indication

Background: There is an indication that vaccine(s) for COVID-19 could be available by early 2021. As immunisation program launches have previously demonstrated, it is essential that careful planning occurs now to ensure the readiness of the public for a COVID-19 vaccine. As part of that process, this study aimed to understand the public perceptions regarding a future COVID-19 vaccine in Australia. Methods: A national cross-sectional online survey of 1420 Australian adults (18 years and older) was undertaken between 18 and 24 March 2020. The statistical analysis of the data included univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Participants generally held positive views towards vaccination. Eighty percent (n=1143) agreed with the statement that getting myself vaccinated for COVID-19 would be a good way to protect myself against infection. Females (614, 83%) were more likely to agree with the statement than males (529, 78%) (aOR=1.4 (95% CI: 1.1-1.8); P=0.029), while 90.9% aged 70 and above agreed compared to 76.6% aged 18-29 year old (aOR=2.3 (95% CI:1.2-4.1); 0.008). Agreement was also higher for those with a self-reported chronic disease (aOR=1.4 (95% CI: 1.1-2.0); P=0.043) and among those who held private health insurance (aOR=1.7 (95% CI: 1.3-2.3); P<0.001). Beyond individual perceptions, 78% stated that their decision to vaccinate would be supported by family and friends Conclusion: This study presents an early indication of public perceptions towards a future COVID-19 vaccine and represents a starting point for mapping vaccine perceptions. To support an effective launch of these new vaccines, governments need to use this time to understand the communities concerns and to identify the strategies that will support engagement.

scholarly journals Examining Australian public perceptions and behaviors towards a future COVID-19 vaccine

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Seale ◽  
Anita E. Heywood ◽  
Julie Leask ◽  
Meru Sheel ◽  
David N. Durrheim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Private Health Insurance ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Multivariable Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Careful Planning ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Public ◽  
Individual Perceptions ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Early Indication

Abstract Background As immunisation program launches have previously demonstrated, it is essential that careful planning occurs now to ensure the readiness of the public for a COVID-19 vaccine. As part of that process, this study aimed to understand the public perceptions regarding a future COVID-19 vaccine in Australia. Methods A national cross-sectional online survey of 1420 Australian adults (18 years and older) was undertaken between 18 and 24 March 2020. The statistical analysis of the data included univariate and multivariable logistic regression model analysis. Results Respondents generally held positive views towards vaccination. Eighty percent (n = 1143) agreed with the statement that getting myself vaccinated for COVID-19 would be a good way to protect myself against infection. Females (n = 614, 83%) were more likely to agree with the statement than males (n = 529, 78%) (aOR = 1.4 (95% CI: 1.1–1.8); P = 0.03), while 91% of those aged 70 years and above agreed compared to 76% of 18–29-year-olds (aOR = 2.3 (95% CI:1.2–4.1); P = 0.008). Agreement was also higher for those with a self-reported chronic disease (aOR = 1.4 (95% CI: 1.1–2.0); P = 0.04) and among those who held private health insurance (aOR = 1.7 (95% CI: 1.3–2.3); P < 0.001). Beyond individual perceptions, 78% stated that their decision to vaccinate would be supported by family and friends. Conclusion This study presents an early indication of public perceptions towards a future COVID-19 vaccine and represents a starting point for mapping vaccine perceptions. To support an effective launch of these new vaccines, governments need to use this time to understand the communities concerns and to identify the strategies that will support engagement.

scholarly journals COVID-19 is rapidly changing: Examining public perceptions and behaviors in response to this evolving pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Seale ◽  
AE Heywood ◽  
J Leask ◽  
M Sheel ◽  
S Thomas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Attitudes And Beliefs ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Public ◽  
Avoidance Behaviors ◽  
Very High

ABSTRACTBackgroundSince the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in late 2019, communities have been required to rapidly adopt community mitigation strategies rarely used before, or only in limited settings. This study aimed to examine the attitudes and beliefs of Australian adults towards the COVID-19 pandemic, and willingness and capacity to engage with these mitigation measures. In addition, we aimed to explore the psychosocial and demographic factors that are associated with adoption of recommended hygiene-related and avoidance-related behaviors.MethodsA national cross-sectional online survey of 1420 Australian adults (18 years and older) was undertaken between the 18 and 24 March 2020. The statistical analysis of the data included univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis.FindingsThe survey of 1420 respondents found 50% (710) of respondents felt COVID-19 would ‘somewhat’ affect their health if infected and 19% perceived their level of risk as high or very high. 84·9% had performed ≥1 of the three recommended hygiene-related behaviors and 93·4% performed ≥1 of six avoidance-related behaviors over the last one month. Adopting avoidance behaviors was associated with trust in government/authorities (aOR: 5·5, 95% CI 3-9·0), higher perceived rating of effectiveness of behaviors (aOR: 4·3, 95% CI: 2·8-6·9) and higher levels of perceived ability to adopt social distancing strategies (aOR: 1·8, 95% CI 1·1-3·0).InterpretationIn the last two months, members of the public have been inundated with messages about hygiene and social (physical) distancing. However, our results indicate that a continued focus on supporting community understanding of the rationale for these strategies, as well as instilling community confidence in their ability to adopt or sustain the recommendations is needed.FundingNone

Public knowledge, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19 before resumption of work and production: A cross-sectional study in Zhejiang province (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yangmei Huang ◽  
Meng Wang ◽  
Caixia Jiang ◽  
Xiaoyan He ◽  
Qiong Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Education Level ◽  
Zhejiang Province ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Good Knowledge ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Attitudes And Practices

BACKGROUND In an effort to mitigate the outbreak of COVID-19，China has taking a series of strict prevention and control measures. Official statistics show that the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths has been controlled since mid-February. On March 2, 2020, the emergency response level of major public health emergencies in Zhejiang, China, was adjusted from level one to level two. The Factory gradually resumed work and students go back to school day by day. OBJECTIVE The prime objective of this study is to explores the knowledge, attitude and practice towards COVID-19 before resumption of work and production in Zhejiang province. METHODS A cross-sectional online survey was conducted across 11 regions in Zhejiang province from March 13 to March 23, 2020. The survey instrument consists of demographic characteristics, 10 items on knowledge, 4 items on attitudes, and 10 items on practices. Our statistical analyses are based on descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS A total of 51,640 participants were enrolled, nearly two thirds (67.1%) were female, around half the participants (44.1%) was aged 31 to 40 years. The highest proportion of the respondents had an education level of bachelor degree or higher (36.8%). The largest group of occupations are business service workers (35.4%) and students (26.4%), most participants were live in urban (93.1%). Results show that most of respondents (84.4%) have good knowledge towards COVID-19. The participants demonstrated higher awareness of transmission (89.8%) and incubation period (74.6%), but lower in symptoms (57.1%). More than half of participants (58.7%) show relax than before, nearly 85.4% of participants are optimistic and believe that the epidemic will end in three months. A large majority of participants (87.0%) show well preventive action. Almost 93.1%, 96.5% and 95.0% wore face masks when going out in public, using tissues or handkerchiefs cover their nose and mouth when they coughing or sneezing, practiced proper hand hygiene by frequently washing their hands respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that female, with the education level of bachelor or higher, medical staff, urban resident, with good knowledge level and optimistic attitude participants were more likely to have well practice to avoid COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that residents in Zhejiang province had a relatively good awareness of COVID-19 before the resumption of work and production, as well as optimistic attitudes and appropriate practices. Efforts should be directed towards raising the awareness of the disease to improve their practices in the current COVID-19 pandemic, especially eliminate student’s anxiety.

Factors Associated with Intention to Vaccinate against COVID-19 in Puerto Rico: An Online Survey of Adults (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle Melin ◽  
Cheyu Zhang ◽  
Juan Pablo Zapata ◽  
Yonaira M. Rivera ◽  
Katie Fernandez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
International Health ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Bisexual Identity

UNSTRUCTURED COVID-19 has been particularly devastating to Black and Latinx communities in the U.S. However, data on acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccines among minority populations are limited. We conducted an online survey among adults in Puerto Rico to identify factors associated with intention to vaccinate against COVID-19. Sociodemographic variables were analyzed independently for association with intention to vaccinate. Significant associations were included in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. A total of 1016 responses were available for analysis. In the bivariate analysis, younger age, higher education, pre-covid employment, male sex, gay/bisexual identity, and single marital status were associated with increased intention to vaccinate. In the multivariate logistic regression, younger, male respondents who had higher educational attainment reported higher intention to vaccinate. Lower-income and living outside the San Juan metro region were associated with lower intention to vaccinate. National and international health organizations were identified as the most reliable sources of information, followed by healthcare professionals. These findings highlight the importance of considering sociodemographic characteristics identified with low intention to vaccinate as well as using trusted sources of information when designing public messaging related to increasing COVID-19 vaccinations.

scholarly journals What the Public Think about Social Services: A Report from Scotland

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 1146-1166
Author(s):  
Trish McCulloch ◽  
Stephen Webb
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Service Workers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Welfare Institutions ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Two Stages

Abstract This article reports on findings of a government-funded research project which set out to understand what the public think about social services in Scotland. The authors were particularly keen to examine issues of legitimacy, trust and licence to operate for social services as they are framed in public perceptions. Drawing on a national online survey of 2,505 nationally representative adults, the findings provide the first and largest empirical data set on public perceptions of social services in Scotland. Data analysis occurred in two stages and employed descriptive statistical measurement and cross-tabulation analysis. The findings indicate that, overall, people in Scotland are positive about social services and the value of their impact on society. Furthermore, they believe that social services perform a valuable public role. These findings are significant for debates surrounding social services and suggest that the Scottish public has a more positive view of social services than social service workers and welfare institutions typically perceive. The findings demonstrate the need to develop a more theoretically rich understanding of the relationships between public perception, legitimacy and social licence in social services, including attention to co-productive models of engagement.

scholarly journals Musculoskeletal Symptoms among Radiologists in Saudi Arabia: A Multi-Center Cross-Sectional Study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malak Al Shammari ◽  
Ali Hassan ◽  
Omran Al Dandan ◽  
Mohammed Al Gadeeb ◽  
Dalal Bubshait
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Musculoskeletal Symptoms ◽  
Body Region ◽  
Viewing Distance ◽  
Cross Sectional

Abstract Background : Musculoskeletal symptoms account for the majority of work-related illnesses resulting in a significant economic burden on society. Computer users are subject to unique repetitive strains that predispose them to musculoskeletal symptoms. In the digitalized field of radiology, radiologists spend long hours interpreting medical images on computers. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among radiologists in Saudi Arabia and their contributing factors. Methods : An online survey was sent to radiologists in all hospitals (academic, public and private) in the major cities of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia covering demographic characteristics, workload (e.g. the time spent at a computer workstation), and workstation environments including the number of monitors as well as the adjustability of the height of the workstation and the viewing distance. This survey of 263 radiologists was conducted in April 2019. It included an evaluation of musculoskeletal symptoms using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. The study outcome was the presence of disabling musculoskeletal symptoms in any body region, which restricted the performance of normal activities in the last 12 months. Results were analyzed descriptively using a Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis to estimate the odd ratio of experiencing disabling musculoskeletal symptoms in the last 12 months. Results : The survey was completed by 198 participants (111 men and 87 women) with a response rate of 75.3%. Most participants (71.2%) were aged below 40 years. A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed being a female radiologist (OR = 2.7; 95% CI: 1.2–6.5), aged 30–39 years (OR = 4.1; 95% CI: 1.1–15.3), and predominantly reviewing computed tomography (CT) images (OR = 4.1; 95% CI: 1.4–12.3) or ultrasound scans (OR = 5.9; 95% CI: 1.4–25.3) were associated with higher prevalence of disabling musculoskeletal symptoms, compared to those aged below 30 years and those who reviewed various imaging modalities, respectively. Conclusions : Musculoskeletal symptoms are common among radiologists with lower back and neck pain being the most frequent complaints. Being a female radiologist, aged 30–39 years, and reviewing CT or ultrasound scans were associated with higher rates of disabling musculoskeletal symptoms.

scholarly journals A Network-Based Explanation of Perceived Inequality

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Schulz ◽  
Daniel Mayerhoffer ◽  
Anna Gebhard
Keyword(s):  
Public Perception ◽  
Small World ◽  
Geometric Graph ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Common Mechanism ◽  
Small World Networks ◽  
Promising Candidate ◽  
Random Geometric Graph ◽  
The Public ◽  
Individual Perceptions

Across income groups and countries, the public perception of economic inequality and many other macroeconomic variables such as inflation or unemployment rates is spectacularly wrong. These misperceptions have far-reaching consequences, as it is perceived inequality, not actual inequality informing redistributive preferences. The prevalence of this phenomenon is independent of social class and welfare regime, which suggests the existence of a common mechanism behind public perceptions. We propose a network-based explanation of perceived inequality building on recent advances in random geometric graph theory. The literature has identified several stylised facts on how individual perceptions respond to actual inequality and how these biases vary systematically along the income distribution. Our generating mechanism can replicate all of them simultaneously. It also produces social networks that exhibit salient features of real-world networks; namely, they cannot be statistically distinguished from small-world networks, testifying to the robustness of our approach. Our results, therefore, suggest that homophilic segregation is a promising candidate to explain inequality perceptions with strong implications for theories of consumption behaviour.

scholarly journals The Public Attitudes, Concerns and Behaviors towards Children Vaccination

2021 ◽  
pp. 39-43
Author(s):  
Nehad J. Ahmed ◽  
Abdulrahman S. Alrawili ◽  
Faisal Z. Alkhawaja
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Public ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Attitudes And Behavior ◽  
Public Concerns

Aim: The aim of this study was to identify the public concerns, attitudes and behavior towards vaccination. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study that included an online survey about the public concerns, attitudes and behavior towards vaccination in Saudi Arabia. The survey was translated to Arabic language and converted to an online form using google forms and after that it was sent to be filled by the parents. Results: About 92% of the respondents said that children should be vaccinated in order to protect them and about 86% of them believed that vaccinations are safe for children in general. Regarding the concerns about vaccination, about 69% of the respondents were concerned about the distress to children of the injection itself and 59% of them were concerned about the increasing number of vaccines recommended for children. Furthermore, about 62% of the respondents were concerned that vaccines are not tested enough for safety. Conclusion: The majority of respondents in this study reported positive attitude but more than half of them expressed some degree of concern regarding children vaccination. Healthcare professionals should play an active role in clarifying these concerns about vaccination with the public. Moreover, they should communicate with parents regarding the vaccinations and provide them with a trusted information about the vaccine.

scholarly journals E-Cigarette Use by Smoking Status in Estonia, 2012–2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 519
Author(s):  
Rainer Reile ◽  
Kersti Pärna
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Cigarette Use ◽  
Public Health Perspective ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Public ◽  
Period Effects ◽  
Nationally Representative

Background: In the context of declining smoking rates in Estonia, this study aims to analyze the recent trends in e-cigarette use and its associations with smoking status and sociodemographic factors. Methods: Nationally representative data from biennial cross-sectional health surveys in 2012–2018 (n = 9988) were used to describe the prevalence of smoking and e-cigarette use by smoking status in Estonia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to describe the sociodemographic patterns of e-cigarette use in three subgroups: the general population, smokers, and ex-smokers. Results: The prevalence of current smoking decreased from 45.4% in 2012 to 31.5% in 2018 among men and from 26.6% to 20.0% among women. At the same time, e-cigarette use in the general population had increased to 3.7% among men and to 1.2% among women. The increase in the prevalence of e-cigarette use was statistically significant among men in the general population, smokers, and ex-smokers, but non-significant among women. In addition to period effects, e-cigarette use was patterned by age, gender, and education. Conclusion: In 2002–2018, the e-cigarette use had increased but smoking had decreased in Estonia. A timely and targeted tobacco policy may alleviate the harm of e-cigarette use from the public health perspective.

scholarly journals Musculoskeletal symptoms among radiologists in Saudi Arabia: a multi-center cross-sectional study

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malak Al Shammari ◽  
Ali Hassan ◽  
Omran Al Dandan ◽  
Mohammed Al Gadeeb ◽  
Dalal Bubshait
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Musculoskeletal Symptoms ◽  
Body Region ◽  
Viewing Distance ◽  
Cross Sectional

Abstract Background Musculoskeletal symptoms account for the majority of work-related illnesses resulting in a significant economic burden on society. Computer users are subject to unique repetitive strains that predispose them to musculoskeletal symptoms. In the digitalized field of radiology, radiologists spend long hours interpreting medical images on computers. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among radiologists in Saudi Arabia and their contributing factors. Methods An online survey was sent to radiologists in all hospitals (academic, public and private) in the major cities of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia covering demographic characteristics, workload (e.g. the time spent at a computer workstation), and workstation environments including the number of monitors as well as the adjustability of the height of the workstation and the viewing distance. This survey of 263 radiologists was conducted in April 2019. It included an evaluation of musculoskeletal symptoms using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. The study outcome was the presence of disabling musculoskeletal symptoms in any body region, which restricted the performance of normal activities in the last 12 months. Results were analyzed descriptively using a Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis to estimate the odd ratio of experiencing disabling musculoskeletal symptoms in the last 12 months. Results The survey was completed by 198 participants (111 men and 87 women) with a response rate of 75.3%. Most participants (71.2%) were aged below 40 years. A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed being a female radiologist (OR = 2.7; 95% CI: 1.2–6.5), aged 30–39 years (OR = 4.1; 95% CI: 1.1–15.3), and predominantly reviewing computed tomography (CT) images (OR = 4.1; 95% CI: 1.4–12.3) or ultrasound scans (OR = 5.9; 95% CI: 1.4–25.3) were associated with higher prevalence of disabling musculoskeletal symptoms, compared to those aged below 30 years and those who reviewed various imaging modalities, respectively. Conclusions Musculoskeletal symptoms are common among radiologists with lower back and neck pain being the most frequent complaints. Being a female radiologist, aged 30–39 years, and reviewing CT or ultrasound scans were associated with higher rates of disabling musculoskeletal symptoms.

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