scholarly journals Public awareness and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine: An online cross-sectional survey, conducted in the first phase of vaccination drive in India

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arumuganainar Suresh ◽  
Rocktotpal Konwarh ◽  
Anand Pratap Singh ◽  
Anand Krishna Tiwari
Keyword(s):  
Public Awareness ◽  
Clinical Trial Data ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Specific Complex ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Knowledge And Acceptance

Abstract The context-specific, complex issue of ‘vaccine hesitancy’ is explicated in terms of delay or refusal of vaccination despite the availability of vaccine services. Although eleven million beneficiaries were administered the COVID-19 vaccine in India from 16th January 2021 till 20th February 2021, however, proportionately a low turnout has been registered in various parts of the country, possibly attributable to hesitance/apprehension towards the current vaccination. In this backdrop, we report the response (collected between Feb 1, 2021 and Feb 15, 2021) of 358 voluntary respondents who participated in an online questionnaire-based pan-India survey, executed to assess their knowledge and acceptance towards the current COVID-19 vaccination program in its first phase. The survey questionnaire consisted of demographic characteristics of the respondents and queries pertaining to knowledge (7 items) and acceptance (3 items). The overall correct rate and the average knowledge score of the participants were 78 % and 5.46 ± 1.4/7 respectively. The acceptance score was 3.50 ± 1.6/5 while 70 % of participants agreed against the 20 % of respondents who neither agreed nor disagreed to take the vaccine. Around 66 % believed that the vaccines, currently being administered in India are safe. Fear about possible side effects (44 %) and inadequacy of comprehensive clinical trial data (29 %), seemed to be the major players in fortifying the vaccine hesitancy among the respondents, exhibiting negative acceptance. Although maximum respondents demonstrated a good level of knowledge (82%) and acceptance (88%), significant differences were observed among some demographic variables. In general, a positive correlation was observed between knowledge and acceptance against a negative correlation, observed in specific provinces. Despite the good acceptance and knowledge, a considerable fraction of the participants (30%) expressed hesitancy. Counselling, mobilization, and feedback from vaccinated individuals about safety should be encouraged. However, due to the limited sample size, we must be cautious when generalizing these findings. Nevertheless, the major elucidations of this study may be utilized in planning vaccination campaigns in further phases.

Assessment of Cardiovascular Diseases Knowledge and Risk Factors Among Adult Population in the South Region of Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
pp. 105477382110606
Author(s):  
Izzeddin A. Bdair
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Cardiovascular Diseases ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
The South ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Total Knowledge Score

Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of mortality and disability worldwide. This study aimed to assess knowledge of cardiovascular disease and risk factors among the adult population in the south region of Saudi Arabia. A web-based cross-sectional survey of 1,049 participants was completed during August 2021. Data were collected by using 25-item heart disease fact questionnaire. The study population included 526 men (50.1%) and 523 women (49.9%) with a mean age of 36 ± 12 years. The average total knowledge score was 65.7 ± 20.80. The items with the highest knowledge were smoking, overweight, aging, high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, and family history. Findings revealed that knowledge regarding cardiovascular diseases is inadequate with a high prevalence of risk factors among the Saudi Arabian population. Healthcare professionals and organizations have a crucial role in raising public awareness regarding health promotion, regular screening, and lifestyles modifications. Interventional studies are needed to investigate the actual magnitude of CVDs and counteract them.

scholarly journals Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Regarding COVID-19 Among Healthcare Workers in Primary Healthcare Centers in Dubai: A Cross-Sectional Survey, 2020

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulaziz Hussain Albahri ◽  
Shatha Ahmed Alnaqbi ◽  
Shahad Ahmed Alnaqbi ◽  
Asma Obaid Alshaali ◽  
Shaikha Mohammad Shahdoor
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Health Centers ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Attitude Score ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Primary Health

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to challenge healthcare services worldwide. Healthcare workers (HCWs) are key to the continued effort to overcome the pandemic. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices of HCWs toward COVID-19 in primary health centers in Dubai.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at four primary health centers in Dubai, including two fever clinics, from July 5th to July 11th, 2020. A self-administered online questionnaire was distributed to nurses and physicians working in these centers, which evaluated their knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding COVID-19 and their associations with the participants' demographic factors. A total score of 80% and above constituted a level of sufficiency in each section. Additionally, Mann-Whitney U test and multivariable logistic regression were used to analyze the variables.Results: A total of 176 HCWs completed the questionnaire, with a 91.2% (176/193) response rate. They were predominantly female (158/176, 90.0%), nurses (128/176, 72.7%), and non-Emiratis (150/176, 85.2%). While official health organizations were the primary source of information for 91.5% (161/176) of participants, only 38.1% (67/176) reported using scientific journals as one of their sources. Overall, 57.4% (101/176) of participants had a sufficient overall level of knowledge. Moreover, knowledge regarding signs, symptoms, and at-risk groups was generally satisfactory. However, knowledge about the virus, testing, transmission, and the isolation of contacts with positive cases was identified correctly by less than two-thirds of the participants. Half of the participants (89/176, 50.6%) expressed their concern about personally acquiring the infection, 112/176 (63.6%) worried about their relatives acquiring it, and 72/176 (40.9%) expressed some hesitancy to take the COVID-19 vaccine once available. Overall, only 58/176 (33.0%) HCWs had a sufficient overall positive attitude score. Nurses, compared to physicians, and non-Emiratis compared to Emiratis' HCWs, had statistically higher mean scores for attitude (U = 2,212, p < 0.01; and U = 1164.5, p < 0.01, respectively). The majority of participants (156/176, 88.6%) reported acceptable infection control practices.Conclusion: Given the gaps identified in the knowledge and attitude, we recommend further training to improve the skills of primary HCWs, with encouragement to practice evidence-based medicine. Additionally, further exploration regarding vaccine hesitancy is warranted.

Acceptance and hesitancy to receive COVID-19 vaccine among university students in Egypt: a nationwide survey

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samar Tharwat ◽  
Ahmed Mohammed Saad ◽  
Mohammed Kamal Nassar ◽  
Dalia Kamal Nassar
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
Nationwide Survey ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vaccine Acceptance ◽  
To Receive

Abstract Background: The public's willingness to be vaccinated will determine the success of the COVID-19 vaccination programme. The aim of this study was to identify acceptance and hesitancy to receive COVID-19 vaccine among university students in Egypt, assess their level of knowledge about COVID-19 vaccine and identify barriers for hesitancy to uptake of COVID-19 vaccine.Methods: This cross-sectional survey study included 1071 university students. A standardized and self-administered questionnaire was constructed by the authors and distributed to university students allover Egypt.Results: Of the 1071 respondents, 739 (69%) were willing to get vaccinated against COVID-19 while 223 (20.8%) reported vaccine hesitancy. Median knowledge score of participants about COVID-19 vaccine was 4 out of 8 (IQR=8). While fear of getting infected (53.6%) and desire to get back to normal life (51%) were the main motives for intention to get vaccinated, fear of serious side effects (100%) and doubting the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine (60.5%) were the main reasons for vaccine hesitancy and resistance. About 21% of students (n=225) reported voluntary uptake of COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusion: We identified rates of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy and detected poor knowledge scores among university students which may hinder vaccine acceptance. We also detected poor translation of vaccination intention into actual vaccine uptake. Educational campaigns and efforts aiming to raise awareness about safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines need to be directed to this important population.

scholarly journals Public Awareness regarding Common Eye Diseases among Saudi Adults in Riyadh City: A Quantitative Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waleed A. Al Rashed ◽  
Amro K. Bin Abdulrahman ◽  
Ahmed A. Zarban ◽  
Mohammed S. Almasri ◽  
Abdulrahman S. Mirza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
Eye Diseases ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Eye Care ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Riyadh City ◽  
The Common

Aim. The current study aimed to evaluate the knowledge of eye disease and awareness of eye care among the Saudi adults and to explore existing eye-related misconceptions in the community. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Riyadh city during May and June 2016. A self-administered anonymous online questionnaire was used to explore the most common misconceptions related to eye diseases and eye care. Results. Out of 1000 individuals, only 711 (71.1%) participant responses were received. The participants’ acceptable knowledge (score ≥50%) was high about the eye problem in diabetes (88.6%), ocular trauma (81.2%), and other general eye diseases (91.3%), whereas low about refractive errors (63%), pediatric eye problems (51.5%), and glaucoma (14.8%). The variation in knowledge about specific ocular morbidities was significant (p<0.001). The majority of participants reported sources of information about the common eye diseases and eye care encountered from the community, internet-based resources, and social media. Conclusions. The majority of the participants had awareness about the common eye diseases, whereas low percentage of participant’s awareness about specific condition of eye diseases. Public eye health awareness should be more focused on social media and the internet to be able to cover the younger individuals of the community.

scholarly journals COVID-19 vaccine acceptances and barriers to vaccination in the context of Kerala: a cross-sectional survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 3352
Author(s):  
Sreemol Sunil ◽  
Anish K. R. ◽  
Sreekutty M. J.
Keyword(s):  
Vaccine Safety ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Perceived Benefits ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Government Websites ◽  
The Government ◽  
Trusted Platform

Background: The long-term control of the pandemic COVID-19 pandemic hinges on the uptake of vaccine and high immunization uptake is critical but barriers to immunization exists. Vaccine hesitancy is one of the top 10 threats to global health. Hesitancy will be a challenge to curbing this pandemic. Apt vaccination strategies are very essential to increase vaccine acceptance.Methods: A cross‐sectional study among the population in Kerala where data was collected through an online questionnaire using Google forms and was distributed using social media platforms. Total of 213 data was collected. Study focused on aspects of vaccine communication, preference of COVID-19 vaccine, perceived benefits, and barriers of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and cues of vaccine.Results: 80.2% of the respondents were willing to get vaccinated. 78.9% of the respondents have taken previous vaccinations by the government. 70 of them trust government health care departments and media (82.2%) is the least trusted platform regarding vaccination. 56.3% are not getting enough information on COVID vaccine safety, while 81.2% of the respondents did not receive negative information. A majority of them (64.3%) relied on official government websites for information. Majority agrees to the perceived benefits of COVID-19. 80.3% are willing to take free vaccination. 46.9 % are willing to pay for COVID vaccine.Conclusions: The scenario in Kerala is positive towards the vaccination drive and majority of them are willing to get vaccinated. But strategies must be made effective in terms of elevating the barriers to vaccination. 

scholarly journals Vaccine Knowledge, Awareness and Hesitancy: A Cross Sectional Survey among Parents Residing at Sandakan District, Sabah

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1348
Author(s):  
James Yau Hon Voo ◽  
Qi Ying Lean ◽  
Long Chiau Ming ◽  
Nur Hafzan Md. Hanafiah ◽  
Yaser Mohammed Al-Worafi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Score ◽  
Primary Vaccination ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Hard Copy ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Vaccination Programs ◽  
Immunization Status ◽  
Significant Difference

Background: Incomplete childhood immunization against communicable diseases is a major concern and vaccine hesitancy remains a hurdle to overcome in primary vaccination programs. This study was to examine the parents’ vaccine knowledge, awareness and hesitancy in relation to their children’s immunization status. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study design was used. The parents who brought their children for immunization visit or follow-up at four public health clinics located in Sandakan district were invited to participate in this survey. Informed consent was obtained before each participant completed a hard copy of self-administered questionnaire in either English or Malay versions. Results: Of 405 parents responded, they generally had good knowledge and awareness of vaccines, only a small percentage (6.8%) of parents were found vaccine hesitant. There were significant differences in vaccine knowledge and awareness in those from different education levels and employment status; similarly, these two factors also significantly affected the vaccine hesitancy among the parents. The parents’ knowledge score was found to be moderately associated with their awareness (r = 0.551, p < 0.01) and inversely correlated to vaccine hesitancy (r = −0.397, p < 0.01). Most of the children (n = 376, 92.8%) in the study were immunized. The children’s immunization status was significantly associated with the parents’ education level (p = 0.025). There was also a significant difference in the total vaccine knowledge scores between the groups of parents with different child immunization status (p = 0.05). Conclusion: This study revealed that parents with higher education had a better knowledge of vaccinations, were less vaccine hesitant and were more likely to ensure that their children complete the recommended course of immunization. It is crucial to ensure parents are well-informed about the safety and efficacy of vaccines so that the children are protected from communicable diseases by the child vaccination program.

scholarly journals Perception of Halitosis among General Population

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (01) ◽  
pp. 35-39
Author(s):  
Mahnoor Khawaja M. Saleem ◽  
Abhishek Lal ◽  
Sabeen Masood ◽  
Dinaz Ghandhi ◽  
Anum Arif Sitai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
The Self ◽  
Predictor Variables ◽  
Self Perception ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Awareness Campaigns

Objective: To assess the self-perception of halitosis among general population of Karachi along with the oral hygiene methods used. Secondly, the self-perception of halitosis was compared with predictor variables such as age, gender, level of education, and occupation. Study design and setting: Cross-sectional survey; a total of 401 participants of Karachi were recruited in September 2020, Pakistan. Methodology: Using Google Forms, an online questionnaire was developed and consisted of 27 questions regarding demographics and self-perceived halitosis, which was filled by the participants. For the statistical analysis, a multiple linear regression test was used to analyze any significant relation between predictor variables and self-perceived halitosis. Results: Out of the 401 participants, 168 (41.9%) were males and 233 (58.1%) were females. A total of 184 (45.9%) participants suffered from halitosis, with more prevalence in males. Mostly, 251 (62.6%) participants perceived to have halitosis themselves, with tooth brushing the most common (44.9%) way to reduce it. About 340 (84.8%) respondents brushed daily, with twice a day selected by 250 (62.3%). The coated tongue was seen by 124 (30.9%) of participants themselves. Age was found to be significantly associated with self-perceived halitosis. Conclusion: Halitosis is a frequent problem most prevalent in male gender. It has medical and psychosocial impact. Although in general, people are aware of perceiving bad breath themselves, there is still a need for public awareness campaigns to disseminate more knowledge and management options regarding halitosis. Frequent visits to dental and medical healthcare professionals should be encouraged to mitigate this problem.

scholarly journals Awareness, knowledge, attitude and practice towards measures for prevention of the spread of COVID-19 in the Ugandans: A nationwide online cross-sectional Survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robinson Ssebuufu ◽  
Franck Katembo Sikakulya ◽  
Simon Mambo Binezero ◽  
Lucien Wasingya ◽  
Sifa K. Nganza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Attitude And Practice ◽  
Security Personnel ◽  
Knowledge Attitude And Practice ◽  
Good Attitude

AbstractBackgroundThe world is facing the Coronavirus pandemic which is highly infectious. A number of measures have been put in place to prevent its spread among the population. However, for these preventive measures to be effective, the population requires an appropriate and sufficient knowledge. Thus, a survey was conducted with the aim of assessing the awareness, knowledge, attitude and practices towards measures for prevention of the spread of Covid-19 amongst Ugandans.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study conducted during the lockdown in Uganda. An online questionnaire and a snowballing approach was used for participant recruitment of 18 years above literate Ugandans. Data collection was done from 6th to 15th April 2020 during which 1763 people participated. We analyzed all data using STATA 14.2, applying appropriate statistical tests.ResultsOut of 1763 participants, 97.6% were aware of the current pandemic. 83.9% of participants had a good knowledge score (21.8/27), 72.4% had a good attitude and 85.3% were practicing measures to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus disease. The ordered logistic regression showed that being a Health worker was significantly associated with a high knowledge (aOR:6 (3.32-10.93); a good attitude (aOR:2.5(1.68-3.8)]) and good practice (aOR:2.9 (1.95-4.2). On contrary, being a driver, business entrepreneur and a security personnel were found to have less rate in awareness, knowledge, attitude and practice.ConclusionsUgandans had a good overall awareness, knowledge, attitude and practice. However, there is still a gap of knowledge, attitude and practice among drivers, business entrepreneur and security personnel. There is a need to mobilize the population in the country to have the same degree of awareness and knowledge which will have an impact on attitude and practice to prevent spread of COVID-19.

Biographic Characteristics and Factors Perceived as Affecting Female and Male Careers in Academic Surgery: The Tenured Gender Battle to Make It to the Top

2016 ◽  
Vol 57 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 139-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Schwarz ◽  
Sonia Sippel ◽  
Andrew Entwistle ◽  
Anna Kathrin Hell ◽  
Sarah Koenig
Keyword(s):  
Career Guidance ◽  
Work Satisfaction ◽  
Attrition Rate ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Professional Career ◽  
Academic Surgery ◽  
Female Surgeons ◽  
High Degree

Purpose: Given the high attrition rate in the field of academic surgery, we aimed to characterise the professional and personal situations of female and male academic surgeons as well as to gather data on their respective perceptions of career advancement and work satisfaction. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in Germany, inviting all identifiable academically highly qualified female surgeons and their male counterparts in a 1:2 ratio to participate. An anonymous 103-item online questionnaire was designed and the data collected between July and September 2014. Results: The questionnaire was sent to 93 female and 200 male surgeons, of whom 63 women (67.7%) and 70 men (35.0%) replied. The average age was 47.5 and 47.1 years, respectively. Respondents identified ‘high degree of expertise', ‘ambition', and ‘clarity of one's professional aims' as important factors affecting professional career development. Both groups felt ‘workload', ‘working hours/shifts', and ‘gender' to be a hindrance, the latter of significantly greater importance to female surgeons. The mean work satisfaction scores were high in both female (69.5%) and male (75.7%) surgeons. The predictors ‘support from superiors' (standardised β coefficient = 0.41) and ‘manual aptitude' (β = 0.41) contributed incrementally to the variance in ‘high degree of work satisfaction' (90-100%) observed for female surgeons. However, childcare provided by ‘kindergarten/crèche/after-school care' had the greatest negative predictive value (β = -1.33). Conclusions: Although there are many parallels, female faculty members experience the culture of academic surgery to some extent differently from their male counterparts, especially when impacted by parenthood and childcare. Faculty development programmes need to develop strategies to improve perceived equality in career opportunities by respecting individuals' requirements as well as offering gender-appropriate career guidance.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Psychological Impact on Health Care Workers in Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 6076
Author(s):  
Hasan S. Alamri ◽  
Wesam F. Mousa ◽  
Abdullah Algarni ◽  
Shehata F. Megahid ◽  
Ali Al Bshabshe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Psychological Outcomes ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The Impact

Objective: Little is known about the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 among the health care workers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May till mid-July among 389 health care workers from government and private hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Data was collected using a pre-structured online questionnaire that measured adverse psychological outcomes, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. The Pearson chi-square test was used to assess the distribution of depression and anxiety among health care workers. Results: A high level of anxiety was recorded among the health care workers, and 69.3% of health care workers below the age of 40 were found to have depression. There was a significant increase in depression among staff with chronic health problems (72.1% vs. 61.9%; p = 0.048). High anxiety levels were detected among young staff compared to others (68.7% vs. 43.8%; p = 0.001). Moreover, 82.1% of the female staff were anxious, as compared to 55.6% of the males (p = 0.001). Conclusions: We found increased prevalence of adverse psychological outcomes among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia during the outbreak of COVID-19. Therefore, there is a need for proper screening and development of corresponding preventive measures to decrease the adverse psychological outcomes.

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