scholarly journals Parental Acceptability of COVID-19 Vaccination for Children Under the Age of 18 Years: Cross-Sectional Online Survey (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ke Chun Zhang ◽  
Yuan Fang ◽  
He Cao ◽  
Hongbiao Chen ◽  
Tian Hu ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND It is expected that COVID-19 vaccines will become available in China by the end of 2020. Vaccinating children against COVID-19 would contribute to the control of the pandemic and the recovery of the global economy. For children under the age of 18 years, parents are usually the decision makers regarding their children’s vaccination. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to investigate parental acceptability of free COVID-19 vaccination for children under the age of 18 years in China. METHODS This is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional, closed online survey among 2053 factory workers in Shenzhen, China, implemented from September 1 to 7, 2020. Participants of the online survey were full-time employees aged 18 years or over who had resumed work in factories in Shenzhen. Factory workers in Shenzhen are required to receive physical examinations once a year. Eligible workers attending six designated physical examination sites were invited to complete an online survey. This study was based on a subsample of those who had at least one child under the age of 18 years (N=1052). After being briefed that COVID-19 vaccines developed by China are likely to be available by the end of 2020, participants were asked about their likelihood of having their children under the age of 18 years take up free COVID-19 vaccination provided by the government, if it existed. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to examine the associations of perceptions related to COVID-19 vaccination based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and exposure to information related to COVID-19 through social media with parental acceptability, after controlling for significant background characteristics. RESULTS The prevalence of parents’ acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination for their children was 72.6% (764/1052). After adjusting for significant background characteristics, positive attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.70, 95% CI 1.50-1.91), the perception that a family member would support them in having their children take up COVID-19 vaccination (ie, perceived subjective norm) (AOR 4.18, 95% CI 3.21-5.43), and perceived behavioral control to have the children take up COVID-19 vaccination (AOR 1.84, 95% CI 1.49-2.26) were associated with higher parental acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination. Regarding social media influence, higher exposure to positive information related to COVID-19 vaccination was associated with higher parental acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination (AOR 1.35, 95% CI 1.17-1.56). Higher exposure to negative information related to COVID-19 vaccination was negatively associated with the dependent variable (AOR 0.85, 95% CI 0.74-0.99). CONCLUSIONS Parents’ acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination for their children under 18 years of age was high in China. The TPB is a useful framework to guide the development of future campaigns promoting COVID-19 vaccination targeting parents. Transparency in communicating about the vaccine development process and vaccine safety testing is important. Public health authorities should also address misinformation in a timely manner.

10.2196/24827 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. e24827
Author(s):  
Ke Chun Zhang ◽  
Yuan Fang ◽  
He Cao ◽  
Hongbiao Chen ◽  
Tian Hu ◽  
...  

Background It is expected that COVID-19 vaccines will become available in China by the end of 2020. Vaccinating children against COVID-19 would contribute to the control of the pandemic and the recovery of the global economy. For children under the age of 18 years, parents are usually the decision makers regarding their children’s vaccination. Objective The goal of this study was to investigate parental acceptability of free COVID-19 vaccination for children under the age of 18 years in China. Methods This is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional, closed online survey among 2053 factory workers in Shenzhen, China, implemented from September 1 to 7, 2020. Participants of the online survey were full-time employees aged 18 years or over who had resumed work in factories in Shenzhen. Factory workers in Shenzhen are required to receive physical examinations once a year. Eligible workers attending six designated physical examination sites were invited to complete an online survey. This study was based on a subsample of those who had at least one child under the age of 18 years (N=1052). After being briefed that COVID-19 vaccines developed by China are likely to be available by the end of 2020, participants were asked about their likelihood of having their children under the age of 18 years take up free COVID-19 vaccination provided by the government, if it existed. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to examine the associations of perceptions related to COVID-19 vaccination based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and exposure to information related to COVID-19 through social media with parental acceptability, after controlling for significant background characteristics. Results The prevalence of parents’ acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination for their children was 72.6% (764/1052). After adjusting for significant background characteristics, positive attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.70, 95% CI 1.50-1.91), the perception that a family member would support them in having their children take up COVID-19 vaccination (ie, perceived subjective norm) (AOR 4.18, 95% CI 3.21-5.43), and perceived behavioral control to have the children take up COVID-19 vaccination (AOR 1.84, 95% CI 1.49-2.26) were associated with higher parental acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination. Regarding social media influence, higher exposure to positive information related to COVID-19 vaccination was associated with higher parental acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination (AOR 1.35, 95% CI 1.17-1.56). Higher exposure to negative information related to COVID-19 vaccination was negatively associated with the dependent variable (AOR 0.85, 95% CI 0.74-0.99). Conclusions Parents’ acceptability of COVID-19 vaccination for their children under 18 years of age was high in China. The TPB is a useful framework to guide the development of future campaigns promoting COVID-19 vaccination targeting parents. Transparency in communicating about the vaccine development process and vaccine safety testing is important. Public health authorities should also address misinformation in a timely manner.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mhammad Saleh ◽  
Marwan Saleh ◽  
Mohammed Nabil Zahid

Objectives: This online survey planned to analyze the knowledge and apprehension about coronavirus among the Arab populations.  Methods: a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted from 15th May 2020 to 27th May 2020. The survey included a total of 443 Arab participants. Divided into four groups according to the age; under 20 years old (28 participants), 20- 40 (359), 40- 60 (49), and 7 participants were over 60. According to gender; male (318 participants) and female (125). Based on education level, participants were categorized as a secondary school (5 participants), high school (28), university graduated (327), and postgraduate (83).  Results: Most of the participants showed a good adaptation for the precautions concerning isolation and quarantine. 299 participants stayed at home during the COVID-19 outbreak by taking a break from jobs or performing their jobs from home. 144 participants performed partial or full-time jobs from 20-60 groups of age. Most of the population were dependent on social media to receive the update about the virus. 141 participants said that they are not up to date enough about the COVID-19 related to the language barrier. Conclusion: The majority of the participants had heard about COVID-19 and were aware of the infection control measures. Most of the participants strictly adapted to quarantine during the outbreak. Further steps need to be taken to enhance the social media accounts and internet websites in the Arabic language which concern medical and educational content. 


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebenezer Akuoko ◽  
Cyril Alando

Abstract This study examined knowledge, attitude, and perceptions of COVID-19 among Ghanaians. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using Google forms to recruit 503 participants over six weeks. We performed descriptive statistical analysis, and presented results in tables/charts. From the results, 66.4% of respondents depended on social media for COVID-19 related information, and 59.8% mostly heard/read about preventive measures in all COVID-19 information heard/read. Knowledge was adequate, but with noticeable gaps. Attitude was generally positive, with 84.1% willing to accept reintegration of treated COVID-19 patients. Perceptions were healthy, with only 3.8% perceiving insusceptibility. We conclude that these findings contribute significantly to the literature on COVID-19 in Ghana. We recommend the continuous use of social media by the Government of Ghana and relevant stakeholders for COVID-19 communications, and further research in the general population for evidence based COVID-19 prevention interventions in Ghana.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junhel Dalanon ◽  
Rhomeljustein Redoble ◽  
Jo-Ann Belotindos ◽  
Candy Delos Reyes ◽  
Jaime Fabillar ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundThe spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Philippines started with its first suspected case on January 22, 2020. The government reacted by imposing several measures including community quarantine, class suspensions, drug therapy and vaccine development, and travel restrictions. This online survey was done amongst Filipino health professions undergraduate students to uncover the relationship between their knowledge, attitude, and practice during this pandemic.MethodsCross-sectional data were obtained from an online survey done on students of medicine, dentistry, optometry, rehabilitative sciences, and pharmacy.ResultsAt a response rate of 100% (n=1257), the results show that healthcare profession students in the Philippines have good knowledge (87.6%) and practices (63.6%) regarding COVID-19, yet attitude (63.6%) was just passable. This study also shows that a strong correlation exists between knowledge and practice concerning the current pandemic, r(2) = 0.08, P = 0.004.ConclusionAdequate knowledge of COVID-19 impacts good practices of avoiding crowded places and misuse of steam inhalation amongst health profession students in the Philippines. Knowledge and practice pertaining to the current pandemic have been found to be good, but attitude remains low.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Siti Hadijah Aspan ◽  
Pramon Viwattanakulvanid

Social distancing is a health protocol recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for reducing the spread of COVID-19. Undergraduate health students play an important role in the dissemination of accurate information. This study identified predictors that influenced the COVID-19 social distancing practice and examined the sources of social distancing information among undergraduate health students in Samarinda City, Indonesia. This cross-sectional online survey study (March-April 2021) to involved 422 undergraduate students from medicine, public health, and pharmacy faculties at Mulawarman University. Binary logistic regression was conducted to identify factors associated with the COVID-19 social distancing practice. The results showed that age (AOR 1.47; 95% CI 1.97–2.22, p = 0.045), sex (AOR 2.26; 95% CI 1.38–3.69, p=0.001), and attitude (AOR 2.61, 95% CI: 1.75, 3.90, p<0.001) were significantly associated with social distancing practices. The top three sources of COVID-19 social distancing information used were social media (80.6%), websites (14.0%), and television (3.8%). The study findings encourage the government to disseminate more health information on social media and education programs to this target population.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ebenezer Akuoko ◽  
Cyril Alando

Abstract This study examined knowledge, attitude, and perceptions of COVID-19 among Ghanaians. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using Google forms to recruit 503 participants over six weeks. We performed descriptive statistical analysis, and presented results in tables/charts. From the results, 66.4% of respondents depended on social media for COVID-19 related information, and 59.8% mostly heard/read about preventive measures in all COVID-19 information heard/read. Knowledge was adequate, but with noticeable gaps. Attitude was generally positive, with 84.1% willing to accept reintegration of treated COVID-19 patients. Perceptions were healthy, with only 3.8% perceiving insusceptibility. We conclude that these findings contribute significantly to the literature on COVID-19 in Ghana. We recommend the continuous use of social media by the Government of Ghana and relevant stakeholders for COVID-19 communications, and further research in the general population for evidence based COVID-19 prevention interventions in Ghana.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. e000942
Author(s):  
Oliver G P Lawton ◽  
Sarah A Lawton ◽  
Lisa Dikomitis ◽  
Joanne Protheroe ◽  
Joanne Smith ◽  
...  

COVID-19 has significantly impacted young people’s lives yet little is known about the COVID-19 related sources of information they access. We performed a cross-sectional survey of pupils (11–16 years) in North Staffordshire, UK. 408 (23%) pupils responded to an online survey emailed to them by their school. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data. Social media, accessed by 68%, played a significant role in the provision of information, despite it not being considered trustworthy. 89% felt that COVID-19 had negatively affected their education. Gaps in the provision of information on COVID-19 have been identified.


Author(s):  
Adrianos Golemis ◽  
Panteleimon Voitsidis ◽  
Eleni Parlapani ◽  
Vasiliki A Nikopoulou ◽  
Virginia Tsipropoulou ◽  
...  

Summary COVID-19 and the related quarantine disrupted young adults’ academic and professional life, daily routine and socio-emotional well-being. This cross-sectional study focused on the emotional and behavioural responses of a young adult population during the COVID-19-related quarantine in April 2020, in Greece. The study was conducted through an online survey. A total of 1559 young adults, aged 18−30 years, completed Steele’s Social Responsibility Motivation Scale and the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, and answered questions about compliance with instructions, quarantine-related behaviours and coping strategies. According to the results, participants displayed a relatively high sense of social responsibility (M = 16.09, SD = 2.13) and a trend towards moderate feeling of loneliness (M = 2.65, SD = 1.62); young women reported significantly higher levels of loneliness than men. The majority complied with instructions often (46.4%) or always (44.8%). Significantly more women created a new social media account and used the social media longer than 5 h/day, compared with men. Resorting to religion, practicing sports and sharing thoughts and feelings about COVID-19 with others predicted higher levels of social responsibility; humour, practicing sports and sharing thoughts and feelings about COVID-19 with others predicted lower levels of loneliness. Conclusively, COVID-19 is expected to have a significant psychological impact on young adults. Currently, Greece is going through the second quarantine period. This study raises awareness about loneliness in young adults during the COVID-19-related quarantine and highlights the importance of developing online programmes, attractive to younger people, to nurture adaptive coping strategies against loneliness.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 735
Author(s):  
Schoultz Mariyana ◽  
Leung Janni ◽  
Bonsaksen Tore ◽  
Ruffolo Mary ◽  
Thygesen Hilde ◽  
...  

Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the strict national policies regarding social distancing behavior in Europe, America and Australia, people became reliant on social media as a means for gathering information and as a tool for staying connected to family, friends and work. This is the first trans-national study exploring the qualitative experiences and challenges of using social media while in lockdown or shelter-in-place during the current pandemic. Methods: This study was part of a wider cross-sectional online survey conducted in Norway, the UK, USA and Australia during April/May 2020. The manuscript reports on the qualitative free-text component of the study asking about the challenges of social media users during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, USA and Australia. A total of 1991 responses were included in the analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted independently by two researchers. Results: Three overarching themes identified were: Emotional/Mental Health, Information and Being Connected. Participants experienced that using social media during the pandemic amplified anxiety, depression, fear, panic, anger, frustration and loneliness. They felt that there was information overload and social media was full of misleading or polarized opinions which were difficult to switch off. Nonetheless, participants also thought that there was an urge for connection and learning, which was positive and stressful at the same time. Conclusion: Using social media while in a shelter-in-place or lockdown could have a negative impact on the emotional and mental health of some of the population. To support policy and practice in strengthening mental health care in the community, social media could be used to deliver practical advice on coping and stress management. Communication with the public should be strengthened by unambiguous and clear messages and clear communication pathways. We should be looking at alternative ways of staying connected.


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