Global Prevalence and Drivers of Dental Students’ COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

Background: Acceleration of mass vaccination strategies is the only pathway to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare professionals and students have a key role in shaping public opinion about vaccines. This study aimed to evaluate the attitudes of dental students globally towards COVID-19 vaccines and explore the potential drivers for students’ acceptance levels. Methods: A global cross-sectional study was carried out in February 2021 using an online questionnaire. The study was liaised by the scientific committee of the International Association of Dental Students (IADS), and data were collected through the national and local coordinators of IADS member organizations. The dependent variable was the willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine, and the independent variables included demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related experience, and the drivers of COVID-19 vaccine-related attitude suggested by the WHO SAGE. Results: A total of 6639 students from 22 countries, representing all world regions, responded to the questionnaire properly. Their mean age was 22.1 ± 2.8 (17–40) years, and the majority were females (70.5%), in clinical years (66.8%), and from upper-middle-income economies (45.7%). In general, 22.5% of dental students worldwide were hesitant, and 13.9% rejected COVID-19 vaccines. The students in low- and lower-middle-income (LLMI) economies had significantly higher levels of vaccine hesitancy compared to their peers in upper-middle- and high-income (UMHI) economies (30.4% vs. 19.8%; p < 0.01). Conclusions: The global acceptance level of dental students for COVID-19 vaccines was suboptimal, and their worrisome level of vaccine hesitancy was influenced by the socioeconomic context where the dental students live and study. The media and social media, public figures, insufficient knowledge about vaccines, and mistrust of governments and the pharmaceutical industry were barriers to vaccination. The findings of this study call for further implementation of epidemiology (infectious diseases) education within undergraduate dental curricula.

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Effect of Covid-19 Pandemic on Non-Covid illness in the General population of Pakistan

10.53350/pjmhs2115112879 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (11) ◽

pp. 2879-2881

Author(s):

Zorain Mustafa Khalil ◽

Jannat Sardar Sheikh ◽

Bismah Riaz ◽

Mohammad Salman Imtiaz ◽

Anum Arif ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Center ◽

Medical Condition ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Medical Attention ◽

Health Seeking ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Middle Income ◽

Long Term Impact

Aim: The goal of this study was to examine the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic 2020 on the health-seeking behavior of the general public in a lower-middle-income nation like Pakistan by looking at the availability, accessibility, and usage of health infrastructure. Methodology: In this cross-sectional study, 394 Pakistani patients completed an online questionnaire measuring their willingness to seek medical treatment, reporting for follow-up visits, and the ease of getting medical care about their medical condition, both before and after the pandemic. The information was then examined. Results: During the pandemic, 21.8 percent of patients visited a health center for follow-up. Fear of infection from the health institution kept 20.3 percent of patients from showing up for follow-up. 17.5 percent of patients had significant symptoms from their underlying sickness but delayed going to the doctor due to the fear of the virus. Patients' appointments were canceled or rescheduled in 20.1 percent of cases, while 54.1 percent did not feel the need to visit a health center. Conclusion: Fear of the virus, lockdowns, limitations, and other reasons have resulted in a substantial proportion of the population avoiding ER/health facility visits while suffering symptoms that necessitate medical attention. The long-term impact on a developing country's healthcare system, such as Pakistan, will be negative unless extraordinary steps are made to provide safe, accessible, and cheap health care during the epidemic. Keywords: Barrier, comorbidities, COVID-19, healthcare, pandemic

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Knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic among undergraduate medical and dental students in Lalitpur, Nepal

10.21203/rs.3.rs-41172/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Nisha Jha ◽

Neeti Singh ◽

Omi Bajracharya ◽

Tejendra Manandhar ◽

Pragya Devkota ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Dental Students ◽

Health Science ◽

Science Students ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Science Students ◽

Kolmogorov Smirnov ◽

Medical And Dental Students

Abstract Background Health science students are an important source of support to health systems. The number of cases of coronavirus disease-19 is still increasing especially in South Asia. Therefore, for better management, there is an urgent need to understand the knowledge of the disease among health science students. Therefore, this study was undertaken to assess the knowledge of medical and dental students regarding the coronavirus pandemic.Methods A cross sectional study was performed during the third week of June among first to final year medical and dental students. As the country was in lockdown, a structured online questionnaire was used to obtain data. The responses obtained were cleaned, coded, entered in IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows and the normality of the data checked using one-sample Kolmogorov Smirnov test (p < 0.05). The demographic parameters were tabulated and total score compared among different subgroups of participants. The frequency of different measures mentioned by respondents to control the pandemic were also noted.Results Out of the 565 participants, 336 (59.6%) were females followed by 229 (40.4%) males. Nearly half of the participants, 282 (49.8%) were belonging to age group 21–23 years. Majority 415 (73.5%) were undergraduate medical and 150 (26.5%) were undergraduate dental students. The largest number of respondents, 140 (24.9%) were from second year of study and 344 (60.9%) were from urban areas. The median total score was 21 and the interquartile range 4. The maximum possible score was 30. The scores among students belonging to different years of study were significantly different (p = 0.033). Total scores were not significantly different among other subgroups of respondents.Conclusions The knowledge of the participants was good. Deficiencies in knowledge were noted in certain areas and these should be addressed through an educational intervention. In countries where epidemic is on the rise, strategies to keep health science students updated with proper information related to COVID-19 is important. Similar studies can be undertaken in other medical colleges in the country and in nursing and pharmacy colleges also.

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Prevalence of postural musculoskeletal symptoms among dental students in United Arab Emirates.

10.21203/rs.3.rs-42573/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Raghad Hashim ◽

Afraa Salah ◽

Fatemeh Mayahi ◽

Saeedeh Haidary

Keyword(s):

United Arab Emirates ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Dental Students ◽

Musculoskeletal Symptoms ◽

Low Back ◽

Body Site ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Past ◽

History Of

Abstract BackgroundThe main purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of neck, shoulder, and low-back pains and to explore factors associated with musculoskeletal pain (MSP) among dental students at Ajman University and Ras Al Khaimah College of Dental Sciences in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Method This cross-sectional study was conducted among dental students using an online questionnaire; which was a modified version of the Standardized Nordic questionnaire, focused on neck, shoulder and low-back pain in the past week and the past year. Results Two hundred and two students responded to the questionnaire out of 368. The prevalence of MSP in at least one body site in the past week, and in the past year was 48.5% and 68.3% respectively. Factors significantly associated with MSP in at least one body site at any time were having history of trauma (P = 0.009), lack of exercise (P = 0.001), being in the clinic for longer time (P = 0.000), and higher BMI (P = 0.010). Conclusion MSP among dental students in the UAE is high. Careful attention is required by the dental colleges to increase students’ awareness towards this problem. This study contributed to better understanding of MSP among dental professionals.

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Knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic among undergraduate medical and dental students in Lalitpur, Nepal

Medicine and Pharmacy Reports ◽

10.15386/mpr-1928 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nisha Jha ◽

Neeti Singh ◽

Omi Bajracharya ◽

Tejendra Manandhar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Rapid Evolution ◽

Active Role ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Dental Students ◽

Health Science ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Medical College ◽

Medical And Dental Students

Background. Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has become a major global problem. There is an urgent need to measure the knowledge of the disease among health science students who can play an active role in pandemic control. The research was conducted to examine COVID-19 knowledge among medical and dental students in a Nepalese medical college, compare the knowledge to other studies in the literature and identify educational needs of students who may be involved in treating COVID-19 patients. Methods. The cross-sectional study was performed during the third week of June among first to final year medical and dental students. As the country was in lockdown, a structured online questionnaire was used. The responses obtained were entered into IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows and the normality of the data checked using one-sample Kolmogorov Smirnov test. The demographic parameters were tabulated, and total score compared among different subgroups of participants. The frequency of different measures mentioned by respondents were also noted. Results. More than half of the participants were males (59.6%). Nearly half 282 (49.8%) belonged to age group 21-23 years. The majority 415 (73.5%) were undergraduate medical and 150 (26.5%) were undergraduate dental students. The largest number of respondents, 140 (24.9%), were from the second year of study and 344 (60.9%) were from urban areas. The median total score was 20 and the interquartile range 4. The maximum possible score was 29. The scores among students belonging to different years of study were significantly different (p=0.006). Total scores were not significantly different among other subgroups. Conclusions. The knowledge of the participants was good. Deficiencies in knowledge were noted in certain areas and these should be addressed through an educational intervention. One of the challenges is the rapid evolution of our knowledge about this condition, which may require regular refresher sessions. Similar studies can be undertaken in other medical colleges in the country and in nursing and pharmacy colleges.

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

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20212587 ◽

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.

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A cross sectional study on COVID-19 vaccine acceptances and barriers to vaccination in district Jhansi

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health ◽

10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20213784 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (10) ◽

pp. 4868

Author(s):

Vimal Arya ◽

Mahendra Chowksey

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Social Media Platforms ◽

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. Vaccine hesitancy is one of the top 10 threats to global health. Hesitancy will be a challenge to curbing this pandemic.Methods: A cross‐sectional study was done among the population in Jhansi where data was collected through an online questionnaire using Google forms and was distributed using social media platforms. Total of 220 data was collected.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. Majority agreed to the perceived benefits of COVID-19. 80.3% were willing to take free vaccination. 46.9% were willing to pay for COVID vaccine.Conclusions: The scenario in Jhansi was positive towards the vaccination drive and majority of them were willing to get vaccinated. But strategies must be made effective in terms of elevating the barriers to vaccination.

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Knowledge and Awareness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among Chinese dental students——a comparison study

10.1101/2021.02.03.429522 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Chengdan Deng ◽

Huangshui Ma ◽

Yuke Shou ◽

Yuxuan Zhao ◽

Yang Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Medical Students ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Dental Students ◽

Dental Student ◽

Average Score ◽

Clinical Aspects ◽

Lower Grade ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional

AbstractBackgroudThis study aimed to measure the knowledge and awareness of COVID-19 among Chinese dental students during the global outbreak recently.MethodA descriptive cross-sectional study was performed among dental students and nonmedical college students in China. All the participants were required to anonymously answer a reliable online questionnaire, which covered 3 different fields of COVID-19. Average scores of dental students (D group), including junior (JD group) and senior dental students (SD group), and nonmedical college students (N group) were compared respectively. Chi-square test and independent sample T test were taken for statistical analysis with SPSS.12.ResultsTotally 497 questionnaires were collected, including 224 from dental students and 273 from non-medical students. The overall average score was 57±19.2. The average scores of dental students were 64.5±18. The D group had significantly higher scores on the total score, section scores, and 20 questions respectively than with the N group. No significant differences were found on 5 questions. Compared with the N group, the SD group won on all three sections while JD group failed to win on the diagnose section.ConclusionAlthough the dental student showed good awareness regarding the clinical aspects of COVID-19 than non-medical students, there are still some weakness in the part of treatment and prevention, which need to be strengthened for better prepare during work. Besides, the low accuracy rate of lower grade dental students is also worth noting.

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Knowledge and attitudes among dental students about COVID-19 and its precautionary measures: a cross-sectional study

Journal of Oral Medicine and Oral Surgery ◽

10.1051/mbcb/2020056 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 17

Author(s):

Ruwaa Alawia ◽

Abanoub Riad ◽

Elham Kateeb

Keyword(s):

Infection Control ◽

Clinical Care ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Dental Students ◽

Control Measures ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Knowledge And Attitudes ◽

Precautionary Measures

Objective: This study aims to evaluate students' knowledge and attitudes about COVID-19 and its precautionary measures. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among dental students in their clinical practice years in two Palestinian universities. An online questionnaire was sent out using students' in mid-May, 2020. The questionnaire assessed students self-reported knowledge about the COVID-19, and students' attitudes towards providing clinical care during the pandemic. Results: A total of 305 dental students completed the questionnaire. Fifty-nine percent (n = 180) reported having updated training on infection control measures in dental settings and 29% (n = 89) reported having attended a training course regarding COVID-19. Eighty-two percent of students (n = 250) preferred to avoid working with suspected COVID-19 patients. Almost 89% (n = 269) admitted fear of transmitting the virus to their families. This fear was related to their perception that using regular standard precautions is unsafe in dealing with COVID-19 patients and their perception of their schools' preparedness to update infection prevention measures (χ2 = 50.45, p < 0.001) (χ2 = 9.77, p = 0.021). Conclusion: Students in this sample are aware of COVID-19 and its precautionary measures. Adherence to new, stricter infection control protocols and periodic orientation of students to these protocols are ways to guarantee a safer environment for both patients and students.

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Willingness to Be Vaccinated against COVID-19 in Spain before the Start of Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18105272 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (10) ◽

pp. 5272

Author(s):

Noelia Rodríguez-Blanco ◽

Sergio Montero-Navarro ◽

José M. Botella-Rico ◽

Antonio J. Felipe-Gómez ◽

Jesús Sánchez-Más ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Logistic Regression ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Vaccine Hesitancy ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Multivariate Logistic Regression ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Past ◽

High Level ◽

Vaccination Campaigns

Vaccine hesitancy has increased in the past few years, influenced by the socio-cultural differences, political populism, or concerns related to the effectiveness and safety of some vaccines, resulting a feeling of distrust. This feeling can become a barrier against the achievement of the immunity necessary to stop the expansion of COVID-19. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acceptance of the vaccine against COVID-19 in Spain, as well as to identify the factors that have an influence on the concerns and attitudes of people against accepting the vaccine in the months prior to the start of vaccination on December 2020. An online questionnaire was created to obtain information about (1) sociodemographic characteristics; (2) concerns and sources of information about vaccines; and (3) attitudes about vaccination and state of health. A multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the influencing factors. Of the 2501 participants, 1207 (48.3%) would accept the COVID-19 vaccine, 623 (24.9%) were hesitant, and 671 (26.8%) would reject it. The logistic regression showed that being male, older than 60, married, retired, with a high level of education, or with a leftist political inclination, could increase the probability of accepting the COVID-19 vaccine. Disinformation and the lack of political consensus were the main sources of distrust. The patients with hypertension, immunodepression, hypercholesterolemia, or respiratory disease, or were overweight, showed a greater acceptance to the vaccine, while those with cancer took the longest to accept it. A low acceptance of the vaccine against COVID-19 was observed among the Spanish population in the phase prior to its availability, and the main fears of the population were identified. It is necessary to offer correct and transparent information about these vaccines to reduce the concerns and increase the trust of the population, to thereby guarantee the success of the vaccination campaigns.

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O Ensino da Dor Crónica em Portugal: As Perspectivas dos Estudantes de Medicina e dos Internos do Ano Comum

Acta Médica Portuguesa ◽

10.20344/amp.10773 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 32 (5) ◽

pp. 338

Author(s):

Irina Cristóvão ◽

Paulo Reis-Pina

Keyword(s):

Chronic Pain ◽

International Association ◽

Medical Schools ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Self Assessment ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Medical Undergraduate ◽

Control Pain ◽

Assessment Scales

Introduction: The International Association for the Study of Pain advocates a mandatory curriculum on chronic pain in medical schools. The objective of this study was to assess the opinions of final year medical students and interns about chronic pain education in eightPortuguese medical schools.Material and Methods: Cross-sectional study. Online questionnaire (30 questions; voluntary and anonymous responses) available in the first quarter of 2016.Results: A total of 251 responses were received from 142 finalists and 109 interns (women 72.9%; 25.3 ± 1.6 years). Pain is a vital sign (92.4%), but 18.7% only assessed pain if the patient complained of it. Pain self-assessment scales were known (87.2%), but the hetero-evaluation was not (70.9%). Pain was not assessed regularly because patients may not express pain; lack of time; short duration of consultations. Education was insufficient on opioids (78.1%), pathophysiology and treatment of pain (66.1%) and interviewing patients with pain (67.7%); it lasted 1 to 10 hours (median). Respiratory depression was the most worrying effect of opioids (56.2%). The risks of opioids outweigh the clinical benefit (33.5%).Discussion: Education on chronic pain is scattered, unstructured and optional. More education is required in medical schools (98.4%). It should occur in year 5 and last more than 15 hours. Clinical stages are advised in chronic pain clinics.Conclusion: There is a need for improvement in the medical undergraduate curricula so that young doctors develop competencies to adequately control pain and fight the avoidable suffering of their patients.

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