scholarly journals Lack of Informations about COVID-19 Vaccine: From Implications to Intervention for Supporting Public Health Communications in COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 6141
Author(s):  
Silva Guljaš ◽  
Zvonimir Bosnić ◽  
Tamer Salha ◽  
Monika Berecki ◽  
Zdravka Krivdić Dupan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vaccine Efficacy ◽  
Health Belief ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Equal Proportion ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Population Immunity ◽  
Wide Range

Lack of knowledge and mistrust towards vaccines represent a challenge in achieving the vaccination coverage required for population immunity. The aim of this study is to examine the opinion that specific demographic groups have about COVID-19 vaccination, in order to detect potential fears and reasons for negative attitudes towards vaccination, and to gain knowledge on how to prepare strategies to eliminate possible misinformation that could affect vaccine hesitancy. The data collection approach was based on online questionnaire surveys, divided into three groups of questions that followed the main postulates of the health belief theory—a theory that helps understanding a behaviour of the public in some concrete surrounding in receiving preventive measures. Ordinary least squares regression analyses were used to examine the influence of individual factors on refusing the vaccine, and to provide information on the perception of participants on the danger of COVID-19 infection, and on potential barriers that could retard the vaccine utility. There was an equal proportion of participants (total number 276) who planned on receiving the COVID-19 vaccine (37%), and of those who did not (36.3%). The rest (26.7%) of participants were still indecisive. Our results indicated that attitudes on whether to receive the vaccine, on how serious consequences might be if getting the infection, as well as a suspicious towards the vaccine efficacy and the fear of the vaccine potential side effects, may depend on participants’ age (<40 vs. >40 years) and on whether they are healthcare workers or not. The barriers that make participants‘ unsure about of receiving the vaccine, such as a distrust in the vaccine efficacy and safety, may vary in different socio-demographic groups and depending on which is the point of time in the course of the pandemic development, as well as on the vaccine availability and experience in using certain vaccine formulas. There is a pressing need for health services to continuously provide information to the general population, and to address the root causes of mistrust through improved communication, using a wide range of policies, interventions and technologies.

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.

Quality financial inclusion and its determinants in South Africa: evidence from survey data

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kudakwashe Joshua Chipunza ◽  
Ashenafi Fanta
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Financial Inclusion ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Financial Products ◽  
Data Limitations

PurposeThe study measured quality financial inclusion, a more comprehensive measure of financial inclusion, and examined its determinants at a consumer level in South Africa.Design/methodology/approachThis study leveraged on FinScope 2015 survey data to compute a quality financial inclusion index using polychoric principal component analysis. Subsequently, a heteroscedasticity consistent ordinary least squares regression model was employed to assess determinants of quality financial inclusion.FindingsThe empirical findings indicated that gender, education, financial literacy, income, location and geographical proximity determine quality financial inclusion. These findings could inform policymakers and financial services providers on how quality financial inclusion can be promoted through tailoring financial products for various socio-demographic groups.Research limitations/implicationsDue to data limitations, the study was confined to South Africa and did not capture digital financial inclusion. Hence, future studies could replicate the study in Sub-Saharan Africa's context and compute an index that captures digital financial inclusion.Practical implicationsThese findings could inform policymakers and financial services providers on how quality financial inclusion can be promoted through tailoring financial products for various socio-demographic groups.Originality/valueThis study proposed a more comprehensive measure of quality financial inclusion from a demand-side perspective by accounting for important dimensions that include diversity, affordability, appropriateness and flexibility of financial products and services.

scholarly journals A life satisfaction approach to valuing the impact of health behaviours on subjective well-being

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yipu Shi ◽  
Craig Joyce ◽  
Ron Wall ◽  
Heather Orpana ◽  
Christina Bancej
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Market Values ◽  
Intermediate Outcomes ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Increasingly, decision-makers are interested in understanding the returns on investments in programs and policies that promote health and prevent chronic diseases. While the costs of these programs are more easily quantified, many of the outcomes they aspire to achieve are intangible and lack obvious market values. The subjective well-being (SWB) method was developed to value a wide range of non-market goods, including health outcomes directly in monetary terms. This paper presents an application of the SWB approach to estimate the monetary value of health-promoting behaviours as the intermediate outcomes of health promotion and chronic disease prevention programs and policies. Methods Life satisfaction (LS) was used as a proxy of individuals’ SWB. Based on the combined Canadian Community Health Survey 2009–10 data, we modeled LS as a function of income and healthy behaviours, controlling for the socio-demographic factors associated with LS at the individual level using ordinary least squares regression. Equivalent effects of income and healthy behaviours on LS derived from the models allowed us to estimate the trade-off between income and healthy behaviours. Results We found that income and healthy behaviours were positively associated with LS. The values of increased physical activity, an additional daily serving of fruits/vegetables, and not smoking are respectively $631, $115 and $563 per week. These represent the amounts of additional weekly income required to maintain an individual at their level of LS in the absence of each of these behaviours. Conclusions The SWB method holds promise as a method to monetize the value of a range of non-market goods, including healthy behaviours for which market values do not exist. The SWB method can be applied efficiently and cost-effectively using readily available survey data.

scholarly journals Work Motivation and Career Autonomy as Predictors of Women’s Subjective Career Success in STEM

2021 ◽  
Vol 46 ◽  
pp. 73-89
Author(s):  
Miriam Schmitt ◽  
Sabine Lauer ◽  
Uwe Wilkesmann
Keyword(s):  
Career Success ◽  
Work Motivation ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Women In Science ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Stem Careers ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Subjective Career Success ◽  
And Mathematics

The minority status of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions makes their successful career development difficult. Due to gender-specific challenges, career dissatisfaction contributes to women dropping out of STEM careers. Therefore, women’s subjective career success (SCS) is important to persist and progress in their STEM careers. This study analyzed the influence of different types of work motivation and the perceived career autonomy on SCS of women. Specifically, 318 women working in STEM professions in Germany completed a quantitative online questionnaire. Using an ordinary least squares regression for variables predicting SCS measured as career satisfaction, we found that an intrinsic work motivation positively affects women’s SCS. The perception of high career autonomy was related positively, and the perception of low career autonomy was related negatively to SCS. Unexpectedly, the findings also revealed the positive influence of income on women’s SCS. The findings show that intrinsic work motivation and high perceived autonomy are promoting factors for SCSs, which could also contribute to their retention in STEM professions.

scholarly journals Exploring variability across cooperatives: economic performance of agricultural cooperatives in northern Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 397-419
Author(s):  
Kifle T. Sebhatu ◽  
Tafesse W. Gezahegn ◽  
Tekeste Berhanu ◽  
Miet Maertens ◽  
Steven Van Passel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Performance ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Agricultural Cooperatives ◽  
Northern Ethiopia ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
African Context ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Heckman Selection

The number of agricultural cooperatives increased quickly in Ethiopia since the 1990s. While many papers studied the impact of membership of Ethiopian cooperatives, not much is known on their performance. This study takes a cooperative-level perspective which is unique in an African context. It compares the economic performance proxied by sales revenue and profit of a wide range of agricultural cooperatives in northern Ethiopia. Data were collected from 511 agricultural cooperatives in 12 districts of Tigray. The contributing factors of the performance are analyzed with Ordinary Least Squares regression (OLS) and Heckman selection models. Our results underscore the importance of membership size, total assets, presence of conflict among members, and union membership. Chairperson characteristics and the internal organization of a cooperative seem to be less correlated to performance.

Flexibility of benefit systems and firms’ attraction and retention capacities

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 487-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Dolores Vidal-Salazar ◽  
Eulogio Cordón-Pozo ◽  
José M. de la Torre-Ruiz
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Organizational Outcomes ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Retention Capacity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Compensation Systems ◽  
Human Resources Managers ◽  
Attraction And Retention

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze three different forms of benefit systems and the effects of their application on Spanish firms’ attraction and retention capacity, differentiating these systems depending on the flexibility offered to the workers. Design/methodology/approach – The data of this study have been collected from a sample of 308 human resources managers in Spanish firms, through an online questionnaire. The hypotheses were tested by ordinary least squares regression analyses. Findings – The results show that firms having more flexible compensation systems, that is, those providing greater freedom to workers in the election of their benefits and the design of the benefit system, reported to have a higher attraction and retention capacity than firms offering to their employees a unique and similar benefit package for all the employees. Research limitations/implications – Future studies could extent this study by analyzing different contexts in order to determine whether some institutional factors can influence these results. Similarly, it would be interesting to analyze the effects of these systems on other organizational outcomes, such as their financial performance. Practical implications – Human resources policies and, especially, compensation policies have a significant influence on the ability of firms to recruit and retain core employees, necessary for corporate success. This study sheds light on the effectiveness of different benefits systems in enhancing the firms’ capacities to attract and retain core employees. Taking into account the hard financial and labor environment that the Spanish firms have to face, the results of this study can have important implications for managers. Originality/value – This paper responds to recent calls asking for the necessity of analyzing the effect of different benefit systems in contexts different to the broadly considered American context. Similarly, these results could be applied to other countries with conditions similar to Spain, that is, countries where the benefit systems have been traditionally less flexible and with an offer of benefits quite different than firms located in countries where the State offers a less-social assistance to citizens.

Access to Saloons, Wet Voter Turnout, and Statewide Prohibition Referenda, 1907–1919

2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Lewis
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Least Squares ◽  
Voter Turnout ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Urban Life ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Demographic Groups ◽  
Evangelical Protestants

When explaining the success of the Prohibition movement in the United States between 1900 and 1920, scholars argue that prohibitionists were able both to tap into the distrust of many rural, native-born, evangelical Protestants toward modern urban life and to bring together disparate groups of reformers around one goal: the elimination of the saloon. Furthermore, localized campaigns resulting in the elimination of saloons from many rural areas kept this base of voters energized, ultimately leading to impressive dry turnouts in statewide Prohibition referenda. This study extends and amplifies these findings through an analysis of three sets of factors on voting outcomes: the percentage of various demographic groups (urban, immigrant, and ritualistic religious populations) residing in a county; the distance of each county to saloons; the presence or absence of producers of alcohol in a county. Results of ordinary least-squares regression demonstrate that access to saloons and the percentage of immigrant and ritualistic church members in a county are the variables that most influence the results of Prohibition referenda. Furthermore, unlike what previous research has demonstrated, these variables have their greatest influence by affecting wet turnout rates.

Qualitative Analysis of Underlying Factors Affecting Vaccine Hesitancy in Iran- A Study Protocol (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salime Goharinezhad
Keyword(s):  
Vaccine Coverage ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Slight Reduction ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Context Specific

BACKGROUND World Health Organization declared the vaccine hesitancy as a global public health threat in 2019. Since even a slight reduction in vaccine coverage rates can lead to a decrease in herd immunity, it is imperative to explore the underlying factors affecting vaccine hesitancy. in specific contexts, considering socioeconomic and cultural variation, to ensure interventions targeting hesitancy are well formulated and intervened. OBJECTIVE The main objective of this study is to identify underlying factors affecting vaccine hesitancy in Iran. METHODS A framework qualitative study will be conducted in the west of Tehran province in 2020. Participants in the study will be recruited hesitance-parents who extracted from the SIB system (an electronic health record in Iran) to maximize diversity. Interviews will be analyzed based on ''Determinants of Vaccine Hesitancy Matrix'' which developed by the WHO-SAGE Working Group. RESULTS deep understanding from the context-specific reasons for vaccine hesitancy cause to formulate better strategies to address them. The ultimate goal of this study is to inform future policies to increase the uptake of the vaccine in Iran. CONCLUSIONS This result of study will show variety opinions about vaccination among different types of socioeconomic and demographic households. The wide range of reasons related to vaccine hesitancy imply to more comprehensive, context-specific interventions. Today, the most important intervention issues focus on improving information about effectiveness and safety of vaccines, while other interventions for promoting vaccination is need to addressed.

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