scholarly journals COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance: Correlates in a nationally representative longitudinal survey of the Australian population

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Edwards ◽  
Nicholas Biddle ◽  
Matthew Gray ◽  
Kate Sollis
Keyword(s):  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Territory Government

AbstractBackgroundHigh levels of vaccination coverage in populations will be required even with vaccines that have high levels of effectiveness to prevent and stop outbreaks of coronavirus. The World Health Organisation has suggested that governments take a proactive response to vaccine hesitancy ‘hotspots’ based on social and behavioural insights.MethodsRepresentative longitudinal online survey of over 3000 adults from Australia that examines the demographic, attitudinal, political and social attitudes and COVID-19 health behavior correlates of vaccine hesitance and resistance to a COVID-19 vaccine.ResultsOverall, 59% would definitely get the vaccine, 29% had low levels of hesitancy, 7% had high levels of hesitancy and 6% were resistant. Females, those living in disadvantaged areas, those who reported that risks of COVID-19 was overstated, those who had more populist views and higher levels of religiosity were more likely to be hesitant or resistant while those who had higher levels of household income, those who had higher levels of social distancing, who downloaded the COVID-Safe App, who had more confidence in their state or territory government or confidence in their hospitals, or were more supportive of migration were more likely to intend to get vaccinated.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that vaccine hesitancy, which accounts for a significant proportion of the population can be addressed by public health messaging but for a significant minority of the population with strongly held beliefs, alternative policy measures may well be needed to achieve sufficient vaccination coverage to end the pandemic.

scholarly journals COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and resistance: Correlates in a nationally representative longitudinal survey of the Australian population

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248892
Author(s):  
Ben Edwards ◽  
Nicholas Biddle ◽  
Matthew Gray ◽  
Kate Sollis
Keyword(s):  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Territory Government

Background High levels of vaccination coverage in populations will be required even with vaccines that have high levels of effectiveness to prevent and stop outbreaks of coronavirus. The World Health Organisation has suggested that governments take a proactive response to vaccine hesitancy ‘hotspots’ based on social and behavioural insights. Methods Representative longitudinal online survey of over 3000 adults from Australia that examines the demographic, attitudinal, political and social attitudes and COVID-19 health behavior correlates of vaccine hesitance and resistance to a COVID-19 vaccine. Results Overall, 59% would definitely get the vaccine, 29% had low levels of hesitancy, 7% had high levels of hesitancy and 6% were resistant. Females, those living in disadvantaged areas, those who reported that risks of COVID-19 was overstated, those who had more populist views and higher levels of religiosity were more likely to be hesitant or resistant while those who had higher levels of household income, those who had higher levels of social distancing, who downloaded the COVID-Safe App, who had more confidence in their state or territory government or confidence in their hospitals, or were more supportive of migration were more likely to intend to get vaccinated. Conclusions Our findings suggest that vaccine hesitancy, which accounts for a significant proportion of the population can be addressed by public health messaging but for a significant minority of the population with strongly held beliefs, alternative policy measures may well be needed to achieve sufficient vaccination coverage to end the pandemic.

scholarly journals Intention to Be Vaccinated for COVID-19 among Italian Nurses during the Pandemic

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 500
Author(s):  
Marco Trabucco Aurilio ◽  
Francesco Saverio Mennini ◽  
Simone Gazzillo ◽  
Laura Massini ◽  
Matteo Bolcato ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vaccine Efficacy ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Vaccine Coverage ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Effective Vaccine ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Female Sex

Background: While the COVID-19 pandemic has spread globally, health systems are overwhelmed by both direct and indirect mortality from other treatable conditions. COVID-19 vaccination was crucial to preventing and eliminating the disease, so vaccine development for COVID-19 was fast-tracked worldwide. Despite the fact that vaccination is commonly recognized as the most effective approach, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), vaccine hesitancy is a global health issue. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey of nurses in four different regions in Italy between 20 and 28 December 2020 to obtain data on the acceptance of the upcoming COVID-19 vaccination in order to plan specific interventions to increase the rate of vaccine coverage. Results: A total of 531 out of the 5000 nurses invited completed the online questionnaire. Most of the nurses enrolled in the study (73.4%) were female. Among the nurses, 91.5% intended to accept vaccination, whereas 2.3% were opposed and 6.2% were undecided. Female sex and confidence in vaccine efficacy represent the main predictors of vaccine intention among the study population using a logistic regression model, while other factors including vaccine safety concerns (side effects) were non-significant. Conclusions: Despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, intention to be vaccinated was suboptimal among nurses in our sample. We also found a significant number of people undecided as to whether to accept the vaccine. Contrary to expectations, concerns about the safety of the vaccine were not found to affect the acceptance rate; nurses’ perception of vaccine efficacy and female sex were the main influencing factors on attitudes toward vaccination in our sample. Since the success of the COVID-19 immunization plan depends on the uptake rate, these findings are of great interest for public health policies. Interventions aimed at increasing employee awareness of vaccination efficacy should be promoted among nurses in order to increase the number of vaccinated people.

scholarly journals Risk, Trust, and Flawed Assumptions: Vaccine Hesitancy During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omid V. Ebrahimi ◽  
Miriam S. Johnson ◽  
Sara Ebling ◽  
Ole Myklebust Amundsen ◽  
Øyvind Halsøy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Natural Immunity ◽  
Factors Associated

Background: The pace at which the present pandemic and future public health crises involving viral infections are eradicated heavily depends on the availability and routine implementation of vaccines. This process is further affected by a willingness to vaccinate, embedded in the phenomenon of vaccine hesitancy. The World Health Organization has listed vaccine hesitancy among the greatest threats to global health, calling for research to identify the factors associated with this phenomenon. Methods: The present study seeks to investigate the psychological, contextual, and sociodemographic factors associated with vaccination hesitancy in a large sample of the adult population. 4571 Norwegian adults were recruited through an online survey between January 23 to February 2, 2021. Subgroup analyses and multiple logistic regression was utilized to identify the covariates of vaccine hesitancy. Results: Several subgroups hesitant toward vaccination were identified, including males, rural residents, and parents with children below 18 years of age. No differences were found between natives and non-natives, across education or age groups. Individuals preferring unmonitored media platforms (e.g., information from peers, social media, online forums, and blogs) more frequently reported hesitance towards vaccination than those relying on information obtainment from source-verified platforms. Perceived risk of vaccination, belief in the superiority of natural immunity, fear concerning significant others being infected by the virus, and trust in health officials’ dissemination of vaccine-related information were identified as key variables related to vaccine hesitancy. Conclusions: Given the heterogeneous range of variables associated with vaccine hesitancy, additional strategies to eradicate vaccination fears are called for aside from campaigns targeting the spread of false information. Responding to affective reactions in addition to involving other community leaders besides government and health officials present promising approaches that may aid in combating vaccination hesitation.

scholarly journals Impact of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on bariatric care in Poland – results of national survey.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Major ◽  
Tomasz Stefura ◽  
Michał Wysocki ◽  
Piotr Małczak ◽  
Anna Rzepa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bariatric Surgery ◽  
Medical Care ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
World Health ◽  
Oncological Treatment ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Impact ◽  
High Willingness

Abstract Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has reached Poland on March 4th, 2020 and undoubtedly affected all areas of life and medical care, including bariatric care. The study was planned to identify the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on bariatric care in Poland. Methods: The online survey was designed and distributed to bariatric surgeons. The questionnaire was divided into three parts: demographic characteristics of participants and their bariatric centers, examining the impact of the pandemic on the bariatric care and last part with questions about planned care after the pandemic.Results: 49 surgeons participated in the survey. 27 (55%) participants worked in hospitals transformed into COVID-dedicated units. Only 9 (18%) respondents declared uninterrupted bariatric surgery during a pandemic. 91% of surgeons declared continuation of bariatric care with telemedicine techniques. All participants declared a high willingness to resume bariatric surgery after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and responded that bariatric procedures should resume immediately when World Health Organisation (WHO) announces the end of a pandemic regardless of oncological treatment. 90% of respondents believe that the pandemic will not affect the safety of bariatric procedures in the future.Conclusions: Access to bariatric care during the pandemic is limited and redirected to telemedicine. Surgeons are ready to resume bariatric operations immediately after the pandemic, but its end is difficult to determine. In surgeons’ opinion pandemic will not affect the safety of bariatric surgery in the future. The extended waiting list and financial aspects will be the main issues after the pandemic.

scholarly journals New Caledonian biology teachers’ opinions about vaccination: Preliminary findings

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 594-606
Author(s):  
Stephane Frayon
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
New Caledonia ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Biology Teachers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Electronic Survey

Objective: Vaccine hesitancy is increasing worldwide and the World Health Organisation has declared it to be one of the 10 threats for global health in 2019. Lack of confidence in vaccines and fear of side effects seem to be the key reasons. Education may help restore confidence, and middle and high school biology teachers may have a particularly powerful role in countering vaccine hesitancy. The aim of this study was to compare biology teachers’ opinions about vaccination with those of other teachers. Design: Cross-sectional study. Method: An electronic survey was sent to middle and high school teachers in New Caledonia. A total of 280 participants were recruited: 110 biology teachers and 170 teachers of other subjects. Attitudes about three common vaccine controversies were measured using Likert-type scales. Results were analysed using multiple logistic regression. Results: Biology teachers showed greater confidence in their knowledge about vaccines than other teachers. In general, their opinions agreed more with scientific knowledge than those of the other teachers, despite some disparities depending on their specific sub-specialty. Highest university qualification obtained was not correlated with the opinions expressed about vaccines. Conclusion: Biology teachers may be better able to restore confidence about vaccines than other teachers. Additional training and information are needed however to allow them to transmit accurate information about vaccines to adolescents.

HPV vaccine hesitancy among medical students in China: A multicenter survey

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
liangru zhou ◽  
Jian Wang ◽  
Pengxin Cheng ◽  
Yue Li ◽  
Xin Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Students ◽  
Hpv Vaccine ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Vaccine Coverage ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Multicenter Survey ◽  
Vaccine Information

Abstract Background: In order to examine HPV information sources, vaccine hesitancy, and the association between the two variables. An online survey of HPV information sources and vaccine hesitancy was conducted among Chinese medical students. Methods: The World Health Organization (WHO) Vaccine Hesitancy 3C model was used to evaluate reasons for respondents' vaccine hesitancy. A probit model was used to investigate the association between vaccine information sources and vaccine hesitancy. Results: The reported rate of vaccine hesitancy was 62.36%. Convenience was the primary factor for vaccine hesitancy in medical students, and 37.23% used a single source to obtain vaccine information. A multivariate analysis revealed that men were 9% more likely to be hesitant about the HPV vaccine than women. Respondents without partners were 15% less hesitant than those with a partner. Respondents receiving HPV information through the Internet were 12% less likely to report vaccine hesitancy than those receiving information from other information channels. Conclusions: HPV vaccine hesitancy requires more attention. Future studies could examine whether increasing vaccination locations and dissemination of information about the safety and effectiveness of HPV vaccines as well as using Internet media would help reduce medical students’ vaccine hesitancy and expand HPV vaccine coverage. Trial registration: The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki,and approved by the Harbin Medical University School of Health Management & nstitutional Research Board (reference No.HMUIRB20210006, approved on 30 June 2021).

scholarly journals 133 Palliative care in the emergency department – a scoping review

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (12) ◽  
pp. 822.3-823
Author(s):  
Ffion Barham ◽  
Samuel King ◽  
Jessica Hawksley
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Palliative Care ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Electronic Systems ◽  
Ageing Population ◽  
Exit Block ◽  
Treatment Escalation

Aims/Objectives/BackgroundThe World Health Organisation (WHO) estimate that 40 million people a year globally require palliative care, and this need is expanding. The needs of palliative patients are not optimally met in the Emergency Department (ED), in part due to crowding and exit-block. This is further compounded in an ageing population with increasingly complex chronic diseases. Palliative care in the ED is one of the top five research priorities from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and is often an underestimated part of the ED workload. These patients need to be recognised early and their care considered holistically. This project aims to define the scale of palliative care demand on EDs, describe the care these patients receive, and consider whether we provide truly palliative care for these patients.Methods/DesignData were collected from electronic and written ED records for all patients meeting the inclusion criteria who attended over a 14-day period. Patient records were identified by manually reviewing all electronic records and identifying coding that corresponded to the WHO list of palliative conditions. Demographic, attendance and clinical data were anonymised and analysed descriptively.Results/ConclusionsOver the study period, 5% (208/4126) of all ED attendances presented with palliative conditions. This figure is likely to be an underestimate, as electronic systems in this department are not linked to e-notes and written records accompany the patient’s hospital journey. Average time in department was 461 minutes (IQR 274.5 – 621.5). 77% (93/121) of these patients were admitted to hospital, with 96% of those admitted to the Medical Assessment Unit. Only 7% (8/121) left the department with a completed Treatment Escalation Plan (2 of these were pre-existing). This scoping data shows that a small but significant proportion of ED patients have incurable conditions and it may be worth targeting quality, not quantity, of life.

scholarly journals Risk, Trust, and Flawed Assumptions: Vaccine Hesitancy During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omid V. Ebrahimi ◽  
Miriam S. Johnson ◽  
Sara Ebling ◽  
Ole Myklebust Amundsen ◽  
Øyvind Halsøy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Natural Immunity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated

Background: The pace at which the present pandemic and future public health crises involving viral infections are eradicated heavily depends on the availability and routine implementation of vaccines. This process is further affected by a willingness to vaccinate, embedded in the phenomenon of vaccine hesitancy. The World Health Organization has listed vaccine hesitancy among the greatest threats to global health, calling for research to identify the factors associated with this phenomenon.Methods: The present cross-sectional study seeks to investigate the psychological, contextual, and sociodemographic factors associated with vaccination hesitancy in a large sample of the adult population. 4,571 Norwegian adults were recruited through an online survey between January 23 to February 2, 2021. Subgroup analyzes and multiple logistic regression was utilized to identify the covariates of vaccine hesitancy.Results: Several subgroups hesitant toward vaccination were identified, including males, rural residents, and parents with children below 18 years of age. No differences were found between natives and non-natives, across education or age groups. Individuals preferring unmonitored media platforms (e.g., information from peers, social media, online forums, and blogs) more frequently reported hesitance toward vaccination than those relying on information obtainment from source-verified platforms. Perceived risk of vaccination, belief in the superiority of natural immunity, fear concerning significant others being infected by the virus, and trust in health officials' dissemination of vaccine-related information were identified as key variables related to vaccine hesitancy.Conclusion: Given the heterogeneous range of variables associated with vaccine hesitancy, additional strategies to eradicate vaccination fears are called for aside from campaigns targeting the spread of false information. Responding to affective reactions in addition to involving other community leaders besides government and health officials present promising approaches that may aid in combating vaccination hesitation.

OBESITY IN PREGNANCY

2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-132
Author(s):  
JANE E RAMSAY ◽  
IAN A GREER
Keyword(s):  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
World Health ◽  
Western Society ◽  
Health Study ◽  
Moderate Activity ◽  
Prevalence Of Obesity ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Uk

Obesity is the modern health epidemic of Western society. The World Health Organisation estimated in the year 2000 that as many as 300 million people worldwide are clinically obese. European countries are now following the worrying trends set by our American neighbours with as many as 30% of adults now classified as overweight and obese (Table 1). In the recent British Women's Heart and Health Study over 4000 women from 23 towns in England, Scotland and Wales were surveyed to establish the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. Over one quarter of the participants were obese (Body mass index (BMI)>30 kg/m2) with the mean BMI of the sample being 27.7 kg/m2 (SD 5.2). One fifth of the women were inactive (participated in less than one episode of moderate activity per week) and two fifths of women did not eat a portion of fresh fruit at least daily. In Sweden, 5600 individuals were surveyed to assess the trends for lifestyle changes between the periods 1986 and 1994. The prevalence of obesity (BMI>30 kg/m2) increased from 6.1% to 9.8% and overweight (BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2) from 19.6%–29.1% in women over this time period. In support of this the proportion of leisure time physical inactivity increased from 19.4% to 26.7%. Perhaps of more concern is the alarming increase in the prevalence of obesity in children. Data from a nationally representative sample of 2630 English children showed that the frequency of overweight (>85th centile) ranged from 22% at age 6 years to 31% at age 15 years and that of obesity (>95th centile) ranged from 10% at age 6 years to 17% at age 15 years. Obesity rates also vary in different ethnic groups with Afro-Caribbean and Pakistani girls living in the UK being more likely to be obese than the general population (OR 2.74 (95%CI 1.74–4.31), OR 1.71 (95%CI 1.06–2.76) respectively. A recent study has suggested that these concerning statistics may not be totally attributable to poor diet but also to a decline in total energy expenditure. For example, at age three the median time spent in sedentary behaviour was 79% of monitored hours and 76% by age five. In general these children spent only 20–25 minutes per day in moderate to vigorous physical activity. The most severe consequences of these observations is the fact that type 2 diabetes, once virtually unheard of in adolescence, now accounts for as many as half of all new diagnoses of diabetes in some populations in North America.

scholarly journals Protecting public’s wellbeing against COVID-19 infodemic in China: The role of trust in information sources and rapid dissemination and transparency of information

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junxiu Wang ◽  
Airong Zhang ◽  
Yingnan Zhou ◽  
Xiaoliu Liu ◽  
Xuyun Tan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Positive Response ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
World Health Organisation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Perceived Safety ◽  
The World ◽  
Rapid Dissemination

Abstract Background While the COVID-19 is rapidly spreading around the world, the information and misinformation about the novel virus has also flooded the social media globally. This led to the declaration by World Health Organisation that the world is not only fighting against epidemic but also fighting an infodemic. How media source and the dissemination of information about COVID-19 affect the public’s wellbeing is, however, yet to be empirically examined. The present study aimed to empirically examine how trust in the information about COVID-19 from social media and official media and how the information was disseminated (i.e., rapidity and transparency) affect public’s wellbeing (i.e., positive response and depressive response). Methods At the height of the COVID-19 outbreak in China between 24-Jan to 10-Feb 2020, an online survey of 22,718 participants (Mage = 28.41 years old, SD = 9.90; 47.9% being male) was conducted across China. Key measured variables are trust in official media and social media, dissemination and transparency of COVID-19 related information, perceived safety, and emotional response toward COVID-19. Data analysis includes descriptive statistical analysis, Pearson correlations, and structural equation modelling. Results The results that trust in the information about COVID-19 from social media was lower than from official media. Trust in these two media sources played different roles in affecting public’s wellbeing. While trust in social media was predominantly associated with heightened depressive response toward COVID-19 pandemic, trust in official media was linked to reduced depressive response and increased positive response. Rapid dissemination and transparency of information was strongly associated with increased trust in official media as well as contributed to increased positive response and reduced depressive response directly and indirectly through perceived safety. Conclusion The findings highlight the important roles of fostering public trust in official media, rapid dissemination and transparency of information in mitigating the negative impact of COVID-19 infodemic on public’s wellbeing.

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