scholarly journals How Public Health Professionals View Mandatory Vaccination in Italy—A Cross-Sectional Survey

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 580
Author(s):  
Erica Pitini ◽  
Valentina Baccolini ◽  
Annalisa Rosso ◽  
Azzurra Massimi ◽  
Corrado De Vito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Public Health Professionals ◽  
Mandatory Vaccination

In response to the decline in child vaccination coverage and the subsequent occurrence of large vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks, in 2017 Italy introduced a new law that made ten vaccines mandatory for children aged 0–16 years. The policy change initiated an ongoing debate among the general public, as well as in the political arena and the scientific community, over this major public health concern. Hence, we conducted a survey aimed at assessing Italian public health professionals’ attitudes towards and opinions on mandatory vaccination. A validated online questionnaire was administered to 1350 members of the Italian Society of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health. Among the 1044 responders (response rate 77%), a large majority were in favour of the Italian mandatory vaccination law (91%) and against its repeal (74%). Nevertheless, according to our sample, maintaining a high level of vaccination coverage without the need to mandate would be preferable, and thus efforts to promote vaccine confidence and proactive vaccine uptake are still needed.

scholarly journals Attitudes towards the COVID-19 Vaccine and Willingness to Get Vaccinated among Healthcare Workers in French Guiana: The Influence of Geographical Origin

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 682
Author(s):  
Nicolas Vignier ◽  
Kepha Brureau ◽  
Sybille Granier ◽  
Jacques Breton ◽  
Céline Michaud ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
French Guiana ◽  
Medical Profession ◽  
Vaccine Safety ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Negative Attitudes

Background: In the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the expansion of the more transmissible 20J/501Y.V3 (Gamma) variant of concern (VOC), mRNA vaccines have been made available in French Guiana, an overseas French territory in South America, from mid-January 2021. This study aimed to estimate the willingness to be vaccinated and the socio-demographic and motivational correlates among Health Care Workers (HCWs) in French Guiana. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from January 22 to March 26, 2021 among a sample of HCWs in French Guiana. They were asked about their willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and vaccine hesitancy, vaccine uptake and vaccines attitudes. Factors associated with willingness to get vaccinated have been analyzed with ordinal logistic regression, using Stata software. Results: A total of 579 HCWs were interviewed, including 220 physicians and 200 nurses most often working in hospital (54%) or in the liberal sector (22%). Overall, 65.6% of respondents reported that they were willing or had already been vaccinated against COVID-19, while 24.3% of respondents reported that they did not want to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and 11.2% were unsure. HCWs were more willing to get vaccine if they were older, were worried about COVID-19 and were confident in the management of epidemic. Conversely, participants were less likely to have been vaccinated or willing to if they were nurses or of another non-medical profession, born in French Guiana, feared adverse effects, or if they did not trust pharmaceutical companies and management of the epidemic by authorities. Conclusion: Negative attitudes towards vaccines are a major public health concern among HCWs in French Guiana when considering the current active epidemic with Gamma VOC. General vaccine hesitancy and concerns about future side effects in particular represent important barriers. Low confidence in government and science are significant in COVID-19 vaccine refusal among non-medical staffs. Public health messaging with information on vaccine safety should be tailored to address these concerns. The specific challenges of HCWs from French Guiana must be taken into account.

scholarly journals Genomics knowledge and attitudes among European public health professionals: Results of a cross-sectional survey

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. e0230749
Author(s):  
Annalisa Rosso ◽  
Erica Pitini ◽  
Elvira D’Andrea ◽  
Marco Di Marco ◽  
Brigid Unim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Knowledge And Attitudes ◽  
Public Health Professionals ◽  
European Public

scholarly journals Are public health professionals prepared for public health genomics? A cross-sectional survey in Italy

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina Marzuillo ◽  
Corrado De Vito ◽  
Maddalena D’Addario ◽  
Paola Santini ◽  
Elvira D’Andrea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Public Health Genomics ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Public Health Professionals

scholarly journals Vaccination knowledge, attitudes and practices in patients with HIV: a cross-sectional survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Rousset ◽  
G Voglino ◽  
E Boietti ◽  
A Corradi ◽  
M R Gualano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Health System ◽  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Public Health System ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Hiv Patients ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Contagion Risk ◽  
High Level

Abstract Background Infectious diseases are more common and severe in patients with HIV, which show different response to vaccines and a diminished protection. It is therefore very important to assess knowledge and attitudes towards vaccination in people with HIV, since precise vaccination coverage and vaccine hesitancy are not well established in this subgroup of patients. Methods A sample of 119 patients with HIV completed a cross-sectional survey. Patients were recruited during their routine medical examination at the infectious diseases clinic in Turin. The survey explored these main areas: demographics and history of HIV infection, vaccination history, attitudes towards vaccination, confidence in the public health system, contagion risk and disease seriousness perception. In this preliminary phase descriptive analysis were conducted. Results Preliminary data show that mean age of the participants was 49.51 years, 80% were males. The median of HIV infection duration was 10 years, while the median of the lymphocyte count was 762.50 cells/mm3. The disease with the highest vaccination coverage was tetanus (88.7%), considered a serious or very serious disease by 85.6% of the participants, despite low or very low contagion risk perception (84.1%). The disease with the lowest vaccination coverage was Herpes Zoster (7.3%), despite high or very high seriousness perception (70%). Furthermore, 99.1% of the participants showed high or very high confidence toward public health system professionals, and the majority of them (59.5%) stated that vaccines are more useful for the community than for the single person. Conclusions Vaccination coverage is still not fully satisfactory regarding diseases considered infrequent or mild. Considering the high level of confidence toward the public health system that has emerged, it is necessary to implement informative and operative strategies about vaccination for European HIV patients, which are particularly at risk regarding infectious diseases. Key messages Vaccination coverage and risk perception in HIV patients is not satisfactory for many diseases and an effort to implement informative strategies in Europe is needed. The role of vaccination in preventing infectious diseases in HIV patients should be recognized and strengthened by relying on the high level of confidence toward European public health systems.

scholarly journals Assessment of Depression Severity During Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic Among the Palestinian Population: A Growing Concern and an Immediate Consideration

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamzeh Al Zabadi ◽  
Thair Alhroub ◽  
Noor Yaseen ◽  
Maryam Haj-Yahya
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Moderate Degree ◽  
Depression Severity ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Depression Prevalence ◽  
Normal Degree

Background: Aggressive quarantine and lockdown measures were implemented as protective public health actions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Assessing the psychological effects associated with these measures is an important attempt to inform local policymakers in an early stage. Yet little is known about these effects, specifically depression, among the Palestinians. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of depression among the Palestinian community during this pandemic.Materials and methods: A cross-sectional web-based survey throughout social media (Facebook and Instagram) was carried out using an anonymous online questionnaire. The validated and standardized depression, anxiety, and stress scale (DASS) was used to measure depression severity. A snowball technique recruiting the general public living in Palestine was conducted. Data were collected between 6 and 16 April 2020, which corresponded to the middle interval of strict massive lockdown in Palestine on 22 March to 5 May 2020. Multinomial logistic regression model was developed to predict depression severity.Results: About 2,819 respondents filled out the questionnaire. Depression prevalence was (57.5%; n = 1,621). Out of them, 66% had mild/moderate severity, and 34% had severe/extremely severe degree. Depression severity was negatively associated with age {mild/moderate degree [OR (95% CI) = 0.98 (0.97–0.99)] and severe/extremely severe [OR (95% CI) = 0.96 (0.94–0.97)]} degrees compared with normal degree. Males were significantly less likely to have higher depression than females {mild/moderate degree [OR (95% CI) = 0.69 (0.57–0.85)] and severe/extremely severe [OR (95% CI) = 0.52 (0.40–0.86)]} degree. However, those who reported having inadequate food supply and lesser monthly incomes were more likely to have a higher degree of depression as compared with normal degree. Single persons were significantly more likely to have mild/moderate depression than those in a relationship [OR (95% CI) = 1.31 (1.05–1.64)].Conclusions: High depression prevalence (57.5%) among the Palestinian community during the COVID-19 pandemic is a growing public health concern. It is essential to provide psychological counseling and treatment during and after the pandemic for the targeted people at high risk (young age/female gender) who were affected psychologically. Strategic long-term policy to address pandemic ramifications, including depression, by implementing comprehensive interventions taking into account socioeconomic disparities, vulnerability, and inequities, is crucial to emerge from this crisis in Palestine.

scholarly journals Exploring Influenza Vaccine Uptake and Its Determinants among University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Vaccines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yukako Kawahara ◽  
Hiroshi Nishiura
Keyword(s):  
Confidence Interval ◽  
University Students ◽  
Vaccination Coverage ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Entrance Examination ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Susceptible Host ◽  
Influenza Activity

While vaccination is the only established option to prevent a susceptible host from influenza, we have yet to clarify the decision-making mechanisms of vaccine uptake among Japanese university and college students. We aimed to explore vaccination coverage and the related demographic, sociocultural, and socioeconomic factors among university students. We performed a cross-sectional survey involving 604 students at Hokkaido University. Participants were asked if they received influenza vaccination in advance of the 2018/19 season, and subsequently, their demographic and sociocultural/socioeconomic characteristics were surveyed. We also explored the mechanisms underlying students’ vaccination decisions. Vaccination coverage was estimated at 27.3% (95% confidence interval: 23.7–30.9). Freshmen (p < 0.0001) were significantly associated with choosing vaccination, and their odds ratio of vaccination was 11.3 (95% confidence interval: 6.2–20.7) times greater than students in other years. Among students other than freshmen, students belonging to medicine- and healthcare-related faculties were vaccinated three times more frequently than other students, and the coverage in students from Hokkaido was twice as large as that for students from other prefectures. Moreover, extracurricular activity was a positive predictor of vaccination. Although the coverage was as small as 27.3% among university students, freshmen in Japan have high vaccination coverage, which we believe is associated with the entrance examination during high influenza activity. In addition to exposing students to proper education regarding their risk self-assessment, consciousness raising via appropriate understanding of influenza and its severity and offering vaccination at university health centers at a reasonable cost may promote vaccine acceptance.

scholarly journals Predictors of Anaemia prevalence among pregnant women in urban Ghana: a cross-sectional study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jones Asafo Akowuah ◽  
Ebenezer Owusu-Addo ◽  
Ama Opuni Antwiwaa
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Folic Acid ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Iron Sulphate

Abstract Background Anaemia during pregnancy is a major public health concern. Despite its wide scope and adverse effects including increased maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, and long-term adverse effects in the new born, extensive interventions using upstream approaches to public health have largely not been implemented. This study investigated the prevalence and associated factors of anaemia in pregnant women in four health facilities in the Kwabre East Municipality of Ghana.Method A cross-sectional survey with a two-stage sampling technique was conducted on 220 pregnant women who attended antenatal care at the selected health facilities. Interview-based structured questionnaires were used. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify predictors.Results The prevalence of anaemia was 11.4%. Few women (25) were anaemic and morphologically, 14 had normocytic normochromic (56%) anemia and 9 had Microcytic hypochromic (36) anaemia. Iron deficiency was reported in 19 (8.6%) pregnant women. Iron sulphate intake (AOR [95% CI] = 3.16 [1.15, 7.37], ANC follow-up during pregnancy (AOR [95% CI] = 3.07 [1.59, 7.99], household size of ≥ 5 (AOR [95% CI] = 3.58 [1.75, 9.52], folic acid intake (AOR [95% CI] = 5.29 [2.65, 12.39] and the period in pregnancy AOR [95% CI]= ≥36 weeks 3.2 (1.3–4.5) were independent predictors of anemia.Conclusion Though anaemia prevalence has been low in urban areas as previously reported, collaborated healthcare measures that aim at eradicating the menace are encouraged. Maternal health care interventions including the administration of folic acid, regular iron sulphate intake and intensive education on early ANC are recommended.

Marijuana use among youths in Mississippi, United States

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasaki Aranmolate
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Marijuana Use ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
School Students ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Male Youth

AbstractBackgroundIncreased use of marijuana among youths in Mississippi, United States is of great concern to Public Health in the 21st century. This study examined the prevalence of marijuana use according to gender, race and ethnicity.MethodThe data for this study was obtained from Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) for 2015, a cross-sectional survey of the Mississippi High School Students, which examined the prevalence and trends in the use of marijuana according to gender, race and ethnicity. The trends in the percentage of students that reported the use of marijuana and its product was examined by univariate t-test statistical analysis at p < 0.05. The frequency distribution was used to determine the percentage differences in the groups.ResultsThe students that ever used marijuana was 39.4% in Blacks, 39.1% in Hispanics and 31.0% in Whites. A total of 13.7% male and female (4.8%) used marijuana before 13 years of age. In addition, the students currently using marijuana include Blacks (10.9%), Hispanic (13.7%) and Whites (7.2%). Approximately 9.7% of students ever used the synthetic product, which was higher in Hispanic (18.7%) when compared to Blacks (8.8%) and Whites (9.1%).ConclusionThe use of marijuana is significantly higher among the male youth in Mississippi than females, which is a major public health concern. Furthermore, there was higher rates of smoking marijuana in Hispanics and Blacks when compared to White youth.

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