Factors Affecting COVID-19 Vaccination among the General Population in Saudi Arabia

Vaccine refusal or hesitancy is one of the significant issues that can have an adverse impact on people’s health and their countries’ economy. Additionally, vaccine acceptance or refusal could have a decisive role in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to investigate the factors affecting COVID-19 vaccine refusal and hesitancy among the general population in Saudi Arabia. The method is a cross-sectional survey using an online questionnaire, and data were collected from 1935 participants between 18 February 2021 and 1 April 2021. Out of 1935 participants aged ≥18 years and residing in Saudi Arabia, 46.9% reported their intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, 22.4% had received the vaccine, 9.5% did not intend to receive the vaccine, and 21.2% had not made their decision. In the multinomial logistic regression models, vaccine refusal was associated with age (OR: 0.961), nationality (OR: 0.182), monthly income of more than SAR 18,000 (OR: 2.325), chronic diseases (OR: 0.521), knowledge about the vaccine (OR: 0.937), and concerns about the vaccine (OR: 1.5). The hesitancy was associated with age (OR: 0.977), nationality (OR: 0.231), monthly income between SAR 6000 to 12,000 (OR: 0.607), chronic diseases (OR: 0.640), knowledge about the vaccine (OR: 0.907), and concerns about the vaccine (OR: 1.3). The main concerns about the vaccine were “COVID-19 vaccines are not tested enough on people”, “drug companies are interested in COVID-19 vaccine sales only”, and “COVID-19 vaccines have serious adverse effects”. Awareness programs and vaccination campaigns should consider people’s concerns and correct their misinformation.

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Acceptability of a COVID-19 Vaccine Among Healthcare Workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Frontiers in Medicine ◽

10.3389/fmed.2021.644300 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Ameerah M. N. Qattan ◽

Noor Alshareef ◽

Omar Alsharqi ◽

Naseem Al Rahahleh ◽

Gowokani Chijere Chirwa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Chi Squared ◽

Health Related

Objective: This study aims to determine the acceptability of a COVID-19 vaccine among healthcare workers in Saudi Arabia and the factors affecting their intention to accept the vaccine.Methods: The study used data from an online cross-sectional survey that was conducted in Saudi Arabia between 8 December 2020 and 14 December 2020. This study employed bivariate and multivariable regression analyses. The bivariate was used to describe and tabulate the frequency of all the variables, including the sociodemographic characteristics, the risk perception and the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccination and a chi-squared test of independence was calculated. Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to examine and identify the factors associated with an intention to have the COVID-19 vaccination and the factors associated with its immediate acceptance.Results: Of the total of 736 healthcare workers who began the online questionnaire, 673 completed it (a 91.44% completion rate). Among the study participants, 50.52% were willing to have the COVID-19 vaccine, of which 49.71% intended to have the vaccine as soon as it becomes available in the country, while 50.29% would delay until the vaccine's safety is confirmed. Being a male healthcare worker, perceiving a high risk of infection, and believing that the COVID-19 vaccine should be compulsory for all citizens and residents in the country increased the probability of intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 and the probability of accepting the COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible.Conclusion: This study calls for more health-related education among healthcare workers to alleviate any fears that might be associated with the COVID-19 vaccine.

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Cross-Sectional Survey among General Population Regarding Knowledge and Attitude toward Antibiotic Usage in Western Saudi Arabia

Pharmacy ◽

10.3390/pharmacy9020098 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 98

Author(s):

Syed Faisal Zaidi ◽

Muhannad Wael Baroom ◽

Adil Ibrahim Hanbashi ◽

Abdulrahman Abdulaziz Alkhaibari ◽

Ahmed Omar Yahya ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

General Population ◽

Viral Infections ◽

Personal Characteristics ◽

Antibiotic Usage ◽

Age Group ◽

Monthly Income ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Validated Questionnaire

Background: Antibiotic resistance is a threatening issue to human wellbeing and an obstacle in the treatment process of many life-threating illnesses. This study aims to assess the knowledge and attitudes toward antibiotic usage among the general population in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A self-administered cross-sectional survey of 460 participants was distributed among the general population in Jeddah in the form of a validated questionnaire. Sample size was calculated to be 460 adults of either gender. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Results: the age of more than half of participants (55.6%) was 18–30 years old, followed by the age group 31–40 years old (26.6%), with the smallest age group >60 years old (1.9%). More than two thirds of participants were male (69.5%), while 131 were female, accounting for 30.5%. Almost one third of participants had poor knowledge about antibiotics (30.5%), 51.0% had used antibiotics without any prescriptions, 54.6% of participants thought antibiotics could be used to treat viral infections, and 55.1% thought it was acceptable to stop taking antibiotics if symptoms start to improve. In addition, 49% believed that taking antibiotics would help them get better more rapidly when suffering from the common cold. Some personal characteristics were significantly associated with the public’s knowledge (e.g., age, education, and monthly income) and their attitudes (e.g., monthly income). Conclusion: Findings revealed a low level of knowledge on the use of antibiotics among the general public in Jeddah. This study signifies the need for improvement in the public’s knowledge and enhancement of their attitudes toward proper utilization of antibiotics.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Jordan is Becoming an Obstacle Toward Achieving Immunity

Medical & Clinical Research ◽

10.33140/mcr.06.025 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (5) ◽

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

General Population ◽

Chronic Diseases ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Online Survey ◽

Health Care Sector ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Vaccine Refusal ◽

Awareness Programs ◽

To Receive

Background: Vaccination is currently considered the major hope to slow down the spread of the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Currently, the biggest obstacle against mass vaccination is that people are reluctant to take the vaccine. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the acceptance and hesitancy towards the COVID-19 vaccine among the general population in Jordan. In addition, the study explores the possible causes of vaccine refusal and the possible associated factors. Methods: The study was conducted by using an online survey distributed in March 2021. It is composed of items that assess the respondent characteristics and their acceptance to the vaccine. Results: A total of 3728 respondents completed the survey. The majority of respondents 60.5% (n = 2255) didn’t register to the platform to take the vaccine, most of them (54.77% were not convinced with the effectiveness of the vaccine). People who work in the health care sector and people with chronic diseases were found to be more likely to receive the vaccine, whereas previously COVID-19 infected and possibly exposed patients both showed hesitancy to sign up for the vaccine. Conclusion: The effectiveness and safety of different vaccines should be widely available to the general population, and be scientifically explained in a simple trustful way. In addition, more awareness programs probably need to target the hesitant groups, including the previously infected patients.

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

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18116076 ◽

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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Perioperative nutrition care and dietetic practices in the scope of bariatric surgery in Saudi Arabia using adapted protocols for evaluation

SAGE Open Medicine ◽

10.1177/20503121211036136 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. 205031212110361

Author(s):

Elham Abbas Aljaaly

Keyword(s):

Bariatric Surgery ◽

Saudi Arabia ◽

Care Process ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Nutrition Risk ◽

Nutrition Care ◽

Management Protocol ◽

Perioperative Nutrition

Objectives: This study evaluates the availability of perioperative nutritional care protocols and the practices of bariatric registered dietitians in Saudi Arabia. The primary outcomes of the study were conducted using an adapted American survey “with permission.” Methods: A cross-sectional survey of a selected 32 dietitians providing bariatric services completed a self-administered online questionnaire from 12 hospitals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Results: All surveyed dietitians were females, mainly Saudi nationals (93.9%, n = 30), and accredited by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (93.8%, n = 30). Only 37.5% (n = 6) of the dietitians were specialized in bariatric surgery. Perioperative common practices of dietitians included a conduct of screening for nutrition risk before (44%, n = 14) and after surgery (62.5%, n = 20) and applied a nutrition management protocol that is mainly based on the application of nutrition care process (62.5%, n = 20). Dietitians (81%, n = 26) reported the importance of having standardized protocols for nutritional management of patients undoing bariatric surgery, where 69% (n = 22) confirmed the availability of pre-operative written protocols in hospitals and 75% (n = 24) confirmed the existence of post-operative protocols. Pre-operative practices included using approaches for weight loss before surgery, for example, very low and low-calorie diet. Dietitians (25%, n = 8) see two to ten patients per month. The sleeve gastrectomy procedure is the most often performed surgery. Conclusion: This is the first study to evaluate the perioperative nutrition care protocols and practices related to bariatric surgery in Saudi Arabia. Perioperative bariatric protocols are available, but some dietitians are not aware of their availability and contents. Researchers emphasize the importance of creating national protocols by the Saudi Credentials Body to standardize practices within the field.

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Acceptance Rates and Beliefs toward COVID-19 Vaccination among the General Population of Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Survey

American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene ◽

10.4269/ajtmh.21-0297 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Farah Yasmin ◽

Waleed Asghar ◽

Maryam Salma Babar ◽

Hiba Khan ◽

Shoaib Ahmad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Public ◽

Polio Vaccination ◽

Acceptance Rates ◽

To Receive ◽

Do So

Developing countries like Pakistan have previously suffered from barriers to acceptance of vaccination by the public because of financial and belief barriers. This study aims to explore these beliefs and highlight concerns regarding vaccine hesitancy in the general population of Pakistan since they are a hindrance to an effective coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) immunization in the country. A cross-sectional study was performed involving 1,778 participants from all four provinces of Pakistan. Results from the study showed more than half of the participants to be unsure of the safety (50%) and efficacy (51%) of the vaccine, whereas 42% were concerned about the side effects of the vaccine. About 72% of the respondents planned to get vaccinated, whereas 28% refused to do so. Internationally made imported vaccines were more trusted by the participants. Forty-four percent of the participants agreed to receive the vaccine upon recommendation from a physician. Lastly, participants who believed in the efficacy of the polio vaccination also considered the COVID-19 vaccine to be safe and effective.

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Preferences for group arts therapies: a cross-sectional survey of mental health patients and the general population

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051173 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. e051173

Author(s):

Emma Millard ◽

Emma Medlicott ◽

Jessica Cardona ◽

Stefan Priebe ◽

Catherine Carr

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Informed Consent ◽

General Population ◽

Music Therapy ◽

Art Therapy ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Arts ◽

Mental Health Patients

ObjectivesThe arts therapies include music therapy, dance movement therapy, art therapy and dramatherapy. Preferences for art forms may play an important role in engagement with treatment. This survey was an initial exploration of who is interested in group arts therapies, what they would choose and why.DesignAn online cross-sectional survey of demographics, interest in and preferences for the arts therapies was designed in collaboration with patients. The survey took 10 min to complete, including informed consent and 14 main questions. Summary statistics, multinomial logistic regression and thematic analysis were used to analyse the data.SettingThirteen National Health Service mental health trusts in the UK asked mental health patients and members of the general population to participate.ParticipantsA total of 1541 participants completed the survey; 685 mental health patients and 856 members of the general population. All participants were over 18 years old, had capacity to give informed consent and sufficient understanding of English. Mental health patients had to be using secondary mental health services.ResultsApproximately 60% of participants would be interested in taking part in group arts therapies. Music therapy was the most frequent choice among mental health patients (41%) and art therapy was the most frequent choice in the general population (43%). Past experience of arts therapies was the most important predictor of preference for that same modality. Expectations of enjoyment, helpfulness, feeling capable, impact on mood and social interaction were most often reported as reasons for preferring one form of arts therapy.ConclusionsLarge proportions of the participants expressed an interest in group arts therapies. This may justify the wide provision of arts therapies and the offer of more than one modality to interested patients. It also highlights key considerations for assessment of preferences in the arts therapies as part of shared decision-making.

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An assessment of the level of awareness of e-health among Saudi medical students

10.21203/rs.2.11628/v3 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Bader Aldebasi ◽

Abdulaziz I. Alhassan ◽

Sami Al-Nasser ◽

Mostafa Abolfotouh

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Medical Students ◽

Medical Training ◽

Good Practice ◽

Health Practice ◽

Monthly Income ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Attitude And Practice ◽

Validated Questionnaire ◽

Knowledge Attitude And Practice

Abstract Background. Many studies are available in the literature about e-health in Saudi Arabia, however, data is limited to a few organizations and does not necessarily reflect the the current and potential use of e-health for health care organizations in the country. The aims of this study were 1)To determine the levels of knowledge, attitude and practice of medical students on e-health, and 2) To identify the predictors of e-health practice. Methods. A cross-sectional survey of 440 medical students at the college of medicine, King Saud bin-Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was conducted, during October/November 2019, using a previously validated questionnaire, to assess: (1) knowledge in three domains; e-health definition (13 statements), fields of application of e-health (8 statements), methods of using e-health (7 statements), (2) attitude toward using e-health (8 statements) and (3) reported practice of e-health in medical training (5 statements). A scoring system was used to calculate the total and percentage score of knowledge, attitude and practice for each student. Multiple regression analysis was applied to identify predictors of e-health practice. Significance was considered at p<0.05. Results. Of 440 medical students surveyed, the majority were females (55.7%), of stream type1 (79.8%) and from families whose monthly income was more than 10,000SR (82.8%). Overall knowledge about e-health was unsatisfactory (PMS=71.6%), with only 43.6% of students reporting satisfactory level. However, this level was satisfactory for fields of application (Percentage mean score-PMS=76.6%) and unsatisfactory for definition of e-health (PMS=70.7%) and methods of its use (PMS=65.7%) domains. Overall attitude towads e-health use was positive (PMS=82.3%), with nearly three-quarters of students (73.4%) reporting positive attitude. Generally, good level of practice of e-health was reported by students (PMS=84.3%), with more than three-quarters of students (78.4%) reporting good practice. Adjusting for age, gender, stream, educational grade and family monthly income, good practice was significantly predicted with higher knowledge (t=2.22, p=0.03) and attitude (t=2.11, p=0.04) scores.Conclusion. This study provides basic information regarding medical students’ knowledge, attitude, and practice on e-health. More resources should be directed to elevate medical students’ knowledge and to motivate them to practice e-health using the available tools.

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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AGE GROUPS AND KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF COVID-19 VACCINE

International Journal of Advanced Research ◽

10.21474/ijar01/13293 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (08) ◽

pp. 482-48/6

Author(s):

Laphatrada Sakunee ◽

◽

Nakamon Khorprasert ◽

Nitit Noumtong ◽

Tanyaporn Tangguay ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Consumption Rate ◽

Age Groups ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Vaccine Candidates ◽

The Third ◽

Preventative Measures ◽

The Relationship

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still an ongoing issue in the New Normal world. As COVID-19 is a human-to-human transmission disease, the viruses spread widely, and many people got infected. There are several preventative measures used to protect an individual from this situation, including vaccination. Thus, more vaccine candidates have been provided to generate a specific immune response against the disease-causing agent, and are prepared. Additionally, not all vaccine candidates are suitable for each individual. The main purposes of this study were to evaluate and determine the knowledge and understanding of the COVID-19 vaccines and the relationship between age groups and Thai citizens. To test whether the two aforementioned variables correlate, we conducted a cross-sectional survey through an online platform, Google form. Four hundred and Ten participants completed the survey. To determine the correlation, we used Statistical Product and Service Solution version 22.0 (SPSS) for data analysis. Pearsons correlation test revealed that there is no significant correlation between age groups and knowledge and understanding of COVID-19 vaccines. Although we did not find any correlation, we think that there may be other factors affecting peoples knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccines such as the sudden awareness due to the new pandemic outbreak and the straightforwardness of our online questionnaire. Since most people are now facing the third ripple of COVID-19 crisis, there might be a higher consumption rate of COVID-19 vaccine news and the majority of seniors (aged above 60) tend to reject answering the online questionnaire which significantly reduced our sample size.

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SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant: healthcare workers' perceptions and beliefs of vaccine effectiveness and advocacy: a national survey during the first week of the World Health Organization variant alert

10.1101/2021.12.27.21268431 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mohamad-Hani Temsah ◽

Fadi Aljamaan ◽

Shuliweeh Alenezi ◽

Khalid Alhasan ◽

Abdulkarim Alrabiaah ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Vaccine Effectiveness ◽

World Health ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Variant Discovery ◽

Health Organization ◽

Mandatory Vaccination ◽

To Receive

Background: As COVID-19 Omicron variant spread in several countries, healthcare workers' (HCWs) perceptions of vaccine effectiveness, booster and worries warrant reassessment. Methods: Online questionnaire among HCWs in Saudi Arabia (KSA) was collected between Dec 1-6, 2021, aiming to assess their Omicron variant's perceptions, worries, and booster-vaccine advocacy. Results: Among the 1285 HCWs participants in the study, two-thirds were females, 41% were nurses,46.4% were physicians, and 50% worked in tertiary care hospitals. Vaccination was perceived to be the most effective way to prevent the spread of Omicron variant and future variants by 66.9%. The respondents perceived social distancing (78%), universal masking (77.8%), and avoiding unnecessary travel (71.4%), slightly superior to vaccination to prevent COVID-19 variants spread. Of the respondents, 99.5% received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Regarding the booster dose, 96% either received it or planned to receive it once they are eligible. 57.7% of the respondents agreed that Omicron could cause a new COVID-19 wave worldwide, 45.9% agreed it may cause another COVID-19 wave in Saudi Arabia and 46.1% indicated the possibility of another lockdown. Overall, the HCWs worry level of the Omicron variant correlated significantly and strongly with their perception of the effectiveness of vaccination and preventive measures. Male HCWs had a significant agreement with mandatory vaccination of all eligible adult populations while HCWs who are unwilling to receive the vaccine had a strong disagreement with mandatory vaccination. Conclusions: The current study was conducted in the first week of Omicron variant discovery in KSA and only two-thirds of HCWs felt that vaccination is the best option to prevent the variant spread, indicating the need to further motivation campaigns for vaccination and booster doses education among HCWs. HCWs had a strong belief in non-pharmacologic interventions that should be encouraged and augmented. It is important to further study and enhance coping strategies for HCWs as we move through the third year of the pandemic with more potential variants, to protect HCWs from fatigue and burnout.

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