scholarly journals COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the UK: a longitudinal household cross-sectional study

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kausik Chaudhuri ◽  
Anindita Chakrabarti ◽  
Joht Singh Chandan ◽  
Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay

Abstract Background The approved COVID-19 vaccines have shown great promise in reducing disease transmission and severity of outcomes. However, the success of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is dependent on public acceptance and willingness to be vaccinated. In this study, we aim to examine how the attitude towards public sector officials and the government impact vaccine willingness. The secondary aim is to understand the impact of ethnicity on vaccine-willingness after we explicitly account for trust in public institutions. Methods This cross-sectional study used data from a UK population based longitudinal household survey (Understanding Society COVID-19 study, Understanding Society: the UK Household Longitudinal Study) between April 2020-January 2021. Data from 22,421 participants in Waves 6 and 7 of the study were included after excluding missing data. Demographic details in addition to previous survey responses relating to public sector/governmental trust were included as covariates in the main analysis. A logit model was produced to describe the association between public sector/governmental mistrust and the willingness for vaccination with interaction terms included to account for ethnicity/socio-economic status. Results In support of existing literature, we identified those from BAME groups were more likely to be unwilling to take the COVID-19 vaccine. We found that positive opinions towards public sector officials (OR 2.680: 95% CI 1.888 – 3.805) and the UK government (OR 3.400; 95% CI 2.454—4.712) led to substantive increase in vaccine willingness. Most notably we identified this effect to vary across ethnicity and socio-economic status with those from South Asian background (OR 4.513; 95% CI 1.012—20.123) and possessing a negative attitude towards public officials and the government being the most unwilling to be vaccinated. Conclusions These findings suggests that trust in public sector officials play a key factor in the low vaccination rates particularly seen in at-risk groups. Given the additional morbidity/mortality risk posed by COVID-19 to those from lower socio-economic or ethnic minority backgrounds, there needs to be urgent public health action to review how to tailor health promotion advice given to these groups and examine methods to improve trust in public sector officials and the government.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kausik Chaudhuri ◽  
Anindita Chakrabarti ◽  
Joht Singh Chandan ◽  
Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay

Background: The global morbidity and mortality burden of COVID19 has been substantial, often widening preexisting inequalities. The approved COVID19 vaccines have shown great promise in reducing disease transmission and severity of outcomes. However, the success of the COVID19 vaccine rollout is dependent on public acceptance and willingness to be vaccinated. In this study, we aim to examine how the attitude towards public sector officials and the government impact vaccine willingness with a secondary aim to understand the impact of ethnicity on this relationship. Methods: This crosssectional study used data from a UK population based longitudinal household survey (Understanding Society COVID19 study, Understanding Society: the UK Household Longitudinal Study) between April 2020 to January 2021. Data from 22421 participants in Waves 6 and 7 of the study were included after excluding missing data. Demographic details in addition to previous survey responses relating to public sector/governmental trust were included in as covariates in the main analyses. A logit model was produced to describe the association between public sector/governmental mistrust and the willingness for vaccination with interaction terms included to account for ethnicity/socioeconomic status. Findings: In support of existing literature, we identified those from BAME groups were more likely to be unwilling to take the COVID19 vaccine. We found that positive opinions towards public sector officials (OR 2.680: 95% CI 1.888 3.805) and the UK government (OR 3.400; 95% CI 2.454 4.712) led to substantive increase in vaccine willingness. Most notably we identified this effect to be vary across ethnicity and socioeconomic status with those from South Asian background (OR 4.513; 95% CI 1.012 20.123) the most unwilling to be vaccinated when their trust in public sector officials were affected. Interpretation: These findings suggests that trust in public sector officials may play a key factor in the low vaccination rates particularly seen in at risk groups. Given the additional morbidity/mortality risk posed by COVID19 to those from lower socioeconomic or ethnic minority backgrounds, there needs to be urgent public health action to review how to tailor health promotion advice given to these groups and examine methods to improve trust in public sector officials and the Government. Funding: No funding


2018 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 682-690 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Asadi-Lari ◽  
Y. Salimi ◽  
M. R. Vaez-Mahdavi ◽  
S. Faghihzadeh ◽  
A. A. Haeri Mehrizi ◽  
...  

1970 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 180-184
Author(s):  
BJ Brown ◽  
AO Adeleye

Background: Socioeconomic factors are known to affect health quality, disease occurrence as well as health-seeking behaviors in several ways.Objectives: To determine the influence of socio-economic factors on awareness of cancer, healthseeking behaviors among parents of children with cancer in a developing country and occurrence of cancer using Burkitt lymphoma as index malignancy.Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that involved children with cancer seen over a 2-year period in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Information was obtained by interview through administration of a questionnaire and retrieval of clinical data from patients’ case notes.Results: The caregivers of 91 children (46 boys, 45 girls) were interviewed including 86 biological parents. Majority (84.6%) of the children belonged to the low socio -economic classes 3-5; 45 of 86 parents (52.3%), more likely in parents from higher socioeconomic classes, were aware of cancer but only 7 (8.1%) knew it could occur in children. There was no association between Burkitt lymphoma and socio-economic class. Twenty-eight (30.8%) parents of the 91 children visited alternate sources of health care, most commonly traditional healers, followed by religious centers. There was no association between visits to such centers and the parents’ socio-economic status or with presentation with metastatic disease.Conclusions: Awareness of childhood cancer is low among this cohort of parents; their socioeconomic status seems to impact on this level of awareness but not on their health-seeking behaviors for their affected children. Focused health education is needed to increase childhood cancer awareness and appropriate healthseeking behavior among the population studied.Key words: socio-economic; childhood; cancer; health-seeking; behaviour; awareness


2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (10) ◽  
pp. 880-887 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate L Mandeville ◽  
Rose-Marie Satherley ◽  
Jennifer A Hall ◽  
Shailen Sutaria ◽  
Chris Willott ◽  
...  

BackgroundLittle is known about the political views of doctors in the UK despite doctors' importance in the functioning of the National Health Service (NHS).MethodsThis is a survey-based, cross-sectional study in which we asked questions about voting behaviour in 2015 and 2017 UK general elections and 2016 referendum on leaving the European Union (EU) (Brexit), and questions relating to recent health policies.Results1172 doctors (45.1% women) from 1295 responded to an online survey. 60.5% described their political views as ‘left-wing’ and 62.2% described themselves as ‘liberal’. 79.4% of respondents voted to remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum compared with 48.1% of voters as a whole (χ2=819.8, p<0.001). 98.6% of respondents agreed that EU nationals working in the NHS should be able to remain in the UK after Brexit. The median score for the impact of Brexit on the NHS on a scale of 0 (worst impact) to 10 (best impact) was 2 (IQR=1–4). Most respondents agreed with the introduction of minimum alcohol pricing in the UK (73.9%), charging patients who are not eligible for NHS treatment for non-urgent care (70.6%) and protecting a portion of national spending for the NHS (87.1%). 65.8% thought there was too much use of NHS-funded private sector provision in their medical practice. Specialty, income and grade were associated with divergent opinions.ConclusionsUK doctors are left-leaning and liberal in general, which is reflected in their opinions on topical health policy issues. Doctors in the UK voted differently from the general electorate in recent polls.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Getnet Kassa ◽  
Addisalem Mesfin ◽  
Samson Gebremedhin

Abstract Background In low- and middle-income countries routine vitamin A supplementation (VAS) is a key strategy for reducing vitamin A deficiency and mortality and morbidity of preschool children. However, in Ethiopia, there is paucity of evidence regarding the level and determinants of the uptake of the supplement. This study was designed to assess the coverage and predictors of VAS among preschool children in Humbo district, Southern Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2016. A total of 840 mothers/caregivers having children 6–59 months of age were selected using multistage cluster sampling technique from six rural villages implementing routine VAS program. Data were collected using interviewer administered questionnaire. Possible predictors considered in the study include distance from the nearby health facility, household socio-economic status, type of the household (model vs non-model), maternal access to health education on VAS, and knowledge on vitamin A and VAS. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of uptake of VAS. The outputs are presented using adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with the respective 95% confidence interval (CI). Results The coverage of VAS was 75.0% (95% CI: 72.1–77.9). Better knowledge of mothers about the importance of the supplement (AOR: 1.49, 1.02–2.17), obtaining VAS related information from frontline community health workers (AOR: 1.51, 1.34–2.72) than health professionals and being from households in the “rich” wealth tertile (AOR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.07–3.03) were positively associated with uptake VAS. Conclusion The VAS coverage of the area was approaching the expected national target of 80%. However, the uptake can be enhanced though awareness creation and improving socio-economic status of the community.


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