scholarly journals Universal Predictors of Dental Students’ Attitudes towards COVID-19 Vaccination: Machine Learning-Based Approach

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1158
Author(s):  
Abanoub Riad ◽  
Yi Huang ◽  
Huthaifa Abdulqader ◽  
Mariana Morgado ◽  
Silvi Domnori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Dental Students ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Natural Immunity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Benefit Ratio ◽  
Healthcare Students ◽  
Economic Level ◽  
Students Attitudes

Background: young adults represent a critical target for mass-vaccination strategies of COVID-19 that aim to achieve herd immunity. Healthcare students, including dental students, are perceived as the upper echelon of health literacy; therefore, their health-related beliefs, attitudes and behaviors influence their peers and communities. The main aim of this study was to synthesize a data-driven model for the predictors of COVID-19 vaccine willingness among dental students. Methods: a secondary analysis of data extracted from a recently conducted multi-center and multi-national cross-sectional study of dental students’ attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination in 22 countries was carried out utilizing decision tree and regression analyses. Based on previous literature, a proposed conceptual model was developed and tested through a machine learning approach to elicit factors related to dental students’ willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Results: machine learning analysis suggested five important predictors of COVID-19 vaccination willingness among dental students globally, i.e., the economic level of the country where the student lives and studies, the individual’s trust of the pharmaceutical industry, the individual’s misconception of natural immunity, the individual’s belief of vaccines risk-benefit-ratio, and the individual’s attitudes toward novel vaccines. Conclusions: according to the socio-ecological theory, the country’s economic level was the only contextual predictor, while the rest were individual predictors. Future research is recommended to be designed in a longitudinal fashion to facilitate evaluating the proposed model. The interventions of controlling vaccine hesitancy among the youth population may benefit from improving their views of the risk-benefit ratio of COVID-19 vaccines. Moreover, healthcare students, including dental students, will likely benefit from increasing their awareness of immunization and infectious diseases through curricular amendments.

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

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 566
Author(s):  
Abanoub Riad ◽  
Huthaifa Abdulqader ◽  
Mariana Morgado ◽  
Silvi Domnori ◽  
Michal Koščík ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
International Association ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Dental Students ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Related Attitude ◽  
The Media ◽  
Acceptance Levels

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.

scholarly journals A machine learning approach to identify psychological factors driving vaccine hesitancy in high income countries

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tania Lincoln ◽  
Björn Schlier ◽  
Felix Strakeljahn ◽  
Brandon Gaudiano ◽  
Suzanne So ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Social Rank ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Conspiracy Beliefs ◽  
Cross Sectional Design

Abstract Understanding factors driving vaccine hesitancy is crucial to vaccination success. We surveyed adults (N=2510) from February to March 2021 across five sites (Australia=502, Germany=516, Hong Kong=445, UK=512, USA=535) using a cross-sectional design and stratified quota sampling for age, sex, and education. We assessed willingness to take a vaccine and a comprehensive set of putative predictors. Predictive power was analysed with regression analyses and machine learning algorithms. Only 57.4% of the participants indicated that they would definitely or probably get vaccinated. A parsimonious machine-learning model could identify vaccine hesitancy with high accuracy (i.e. 83% sensitivity and 82% specificity) using 10 variables only. The most relevant predictors were vaccination conspiracy beliefs, paranoid concerns related to the pandemic, COVID anxiety, high perceived risk of infection, low perceived social rank, lower age, and female gender. Campaigns seeking to increase vaccine uptake need to take mistrust as the main driver of vaccine hesitancy into account.

scholarly journals Attitudes and Intentions toward COVID-19 Vaccination among Health Professions Students and Faculty in Qatar

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1275
Author(s):  
Amine Zaidi ◽  
Amal Elmasaad ◽  
Hend Alobaidli ◽  
Rana Sayed ◽  
Dana Al-Ali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Vaccine Safety ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Natural Immunity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact ◽  
To Receive

A population’s desire to take the COVID-19 vaccine is an important predictor of a country’s future pandemic management. This cross-sectional study examines the impact of psychological and sociodemographic factors on attitudes toward and intentions to take the COVID-19 vaccine among students and faculty at four colleges of health professions and sciences at Qatar University. The data were collected through an online survey using Google Forms. The survey was distributed through various online platforms. Data analysis was conducted using Stata 16. Of the 364 participants, 9.89% expressed a high mistrust of vaccine safety, and 21.7% were uncertain about their levels of trust; 28% expressed strong worries about unforeseen side effects, whereas 54.95% expressed moderate worries. Furthermore, 7.69% expressed strong concerns and 39.84% showed moderate concerns about commercial profiteering. Approximately 13% of the participants expressed a strong preference towards natural immunity, whilst 45.33% appeared to believe that natural immunity might be better than a vaccine. Importantly, 68.13% of the participants intended to receive the COVID-19 vaccine once it became available, compared to 17.03% who were uncertain and 14.83% who were unwilling to be vaccinated. Our findings differ from the data on vaccine hesitancy among the general population of Qatar. We argue that this gap is due to scientific knowledge and domain of education. Furthermore, although knowledge and awareness may affect vaccine attitudes, mental health and sociodemographic factors play a role in shaping attitudes towards vaccines.

scholarly journals Risk, Trust, and Flawed Assumptions: Vaccine Hesitancy During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omid V. Ebrahimi ◽  
Miriam S. Johnson ◽  
Sara Ebling ◽  
Ole Myklebust Amundsen ◽  
Øyvind Halsøy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
World Health ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Natural Immunity ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Associated

Background: The pace at which the present pandemic and future public health crises involving viral infections are eradicated heavily depends on the availability and routine implementation of vaccines. This process is further affected by a willingness to vaccinate, embedded in the phenomenon of vaccine hesitancy. The World Health Organization has listed vaccine hesitancy among the greatest threats to global health, calling for research to identify the factors associated with this phenomenon.Methods: The present cross-sectional study seeks to investigate the psychological, contextual, and sociodemographic factors associated with vaccination hesitancy in a large sample of the adult population. 4,571 Norwegian adults were recruited through an online survey between January 23 to February 2, 2021. Subgroup analyzes and multiple logistic regression was utilized to identify the covariates of vaccine hesitancy.Results: Several subgroups hesitant toward vaccination were identified, including males, rural residents, and parents with children below 18 years of age. No differences were found between natives and non-natives, across education or age groups. Individuals preferring unmonitored media platforms (e.g., information from peers, social media, online forums, and blogs) more frequently reported hesitance toward vaccination than those relying on information obtainment from source-verified platforms. Perceived risk of vaccination, belief in the superiority of natural immunity, fear concerning significant others being infected by the virus, and trust in health officials' dissemination of vaccine-related information were identified as key variables related to vaccine hesitancy.Conclusion: Given the heterogeneous range of variables associated with vaccine hesitancy, additional strategies to eradicate vaccination fears are called for aside from campaigns targeting the spread of false information. Responding to affective reactions in addition to involving other community leaders besides government and health officials present promising approaches that may aid in combating vaccination hesitation.

scholarly journals Does Prior Interprofessional Experience Influence the Attitudes of Graduate Healthcare Students about Interprofessional Education?

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Preeti D. Oza ◽  
Kathryn C. Nesbit
Keyword(s):  
Interprofessional Education ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Healthcare Students ◽  
Healthcare Program ◽  
Program Diversity ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Mean Differences

Background: Educational background and students’ preparedness influence interprofessional education (IPE). We studied if healthcare students’ prior exposure tointerprofessional collaborations and education influenced their attitudes andreadiness for IPE.Methods: Graduate students were surveyed in this cross-sectional study using the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Survey (RIPLS). Independent variables included age, gender, type of healthcare program, diversity of clinical observation settings, and previous IPE coursework.Findings: Sixty-eight completed surveys included 60 percent in the 20 to 25-yearold group and 78 percent females. Controlling for age and gender, MANCOVA showed no group mean differences in the RIPLS.Conclusions: Students’ attitudes toward IPE are not associated with their professional program, previous IPE coursework, or exposure to interprofessional interactions in diverse clinical observations.  

scholarly journals Predictors of Willingness to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine: Cross-Sectional Study of Palestinian Dental Students

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 954
Author(s):  
Elham Kateeb ◽  
Mayar Danadneh ◽  
Andrea Pokorná ◽  
Jitka Klugarová ◽  
Huthaifa Abdulqader ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Dental Students ◽  
Natural Immunity ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Questionnaire Response ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Palestinian Territories ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Vaccination Hesitancy ◽  
Better Than

The overarching aim of this study was to assess the predictors related to the willingness of Palestinian dental students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a universal sample of dental students in the Palestinian territories. Willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine was related to the following factors: Demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related experiences, beliefs and knowledge about the vaccine, attitudes toward vaccinations in general, and other factors outlined by the WHO SAGE Vaccination Hesitancy Questionnaire. Four hundred and seventeen students completed the questionnaire (response rate = 41.7%). In general, 57.8% (n = 241) were willing to take the COVID-19 vaccine when it became available to them, 27% (n = 114) were hesitant, and 14.9% (n = 62) were not willing to get vaccinated. The final regression model explained 46% of the variation in the willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as follows: Attitudes towards new vaccines (β = 6.23, p < 0.001), believing in a favorable risk–benefit ratio (β = 5.64, p < 0.001), trust in the pharmaceutical industry (β = 5.92, p = 0.001), believing that natural immunity is better than being vaccinated (β = −4.24, p < 0.001), and having enough information about the vaccine (β = 4.12, p < 0.001). Adequate information about vaccines, their risk–benefit ratios, and natural and acquired immunity are important to build trust and favorable attitudes towards vaccines among future dentists.

scholarly journals Acceptability of the COVID-19 Vaccine and Its Determinants among University Students in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. 943
Author(s):  
Mohammed J. Almalki ◽  
Amani A. Alotaibi ◽  
Salman H. Alabdali ◽  
Ayman A. Zaalah ◽  
Mohsen W. Maghfuri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
University Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Final Sample ◽  
To Receive

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is a significant threat to the efforts that have been taken to combat the pandemic. This study assessed the acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine among university students in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional online survey using a Google Form was conducted between 2 April and 23 April 2021. A snowball technique was used to recruit participants for this study. The final sample consisted of 407 participants. More than one-third of the participants (36.1%) had received the COVID-19 vaccine, and 13.3% had registered to receive the vaccine. Of the participants who were not yet vaccinated (n = 260), 90.4% indicated that they would like to be vaccinated when given the opportunity. Of the unvaccinated participants, 82.3% trusted the COVID-19 vaccines that had been provided in Saudi Arabia. The most reported reasons for the participants’ acceptance to receive the COVID-19 vaccine included preventive purposes (95.8%), a belief in the safety of the vaccines (84.3%), and the availability of public awareness information regarding the vaccines (77.3%). A small portion of participants (6.1%) were refusing to receive the vaccine due to the potential long-term side effects (92.0%) and expedited vaccine trials (80.0%). Acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine was strongly associated with participants who regularly received the flu vaccine (p < 0.05). All other demographic variables were not statistically associated with the acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine. In conclusion, it would be appropriate for universities to launch peer programs to urge reluctant students to receive the vaccine voluntarily. In terms of further research, it is valuable to follow up with unvaccinated participants to investigate if they received the vaccine since the data were collected, and their reasons for doing so. This research would reveal changes toward vaccine acceptability over time and any related determinants. Future research should consider students from non-Arabic speaking backgrounds.

scholarly journals DOES DENTAL STUDENTS' ATTENDANCE IN CLASSROOM LECTURES DEPEND ON THE MODE OF ATTENDANCE TRACKING?

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (18) ◽  
pp. 70-78
Author(s):  
Hani Mawardi ◽  
Waad Alharbi ◽  
Waleed Alamoudi ◽  
Osama Felemban ◽  
Soulafa Almazrooa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Dental Students ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Dental Schools

Purpose: The necessity to attend classroom lectures is a disputable topic among dental schools globally. Since there is an ongoing debate on different aspects of this problem in literature, the purpose of this study was to compare students’ attitudes toward classroom attendance and investigate if stricter attendance tracking methods could lead to better classroom attendance at two dental schools utilising different modes of tracking students’ attendance. Method: This was an observational, cross-sectional survey distributed among dental students enrolled at King Abdul-Aziz University (KAU) and King Saud University (KSU) in Saudi Arabia. The survey included questions on demographics, average travel time, student's attitudes toward classroom lectures and common reasons for absenteeism. Collected data were analysed and summarised as frequencies and percentages and then compared using the Chi-square test for statistical significance.  Findings: The study involved 678 participants from KAU and 475 participants from KSU. In general, there was a significant difference in students’ attendance between both schools in which 26.8% of KAU dental students skipped 5 or more lectures/month compared to 11.5% of students at KSU. Among the factors affecting classroom lecture attendance, commuting time was a major one reported by students (44.8% of students at KSU and 51.4% at KAU needed 30-60 min to reach their schools). The availability of lectures through online resources and the necessity to study for exams were additional factors reported by students of both schools. Implications for research and practices: Based on the current data, the school’s method to track students’ attendance may have a role in the pattern of classroom absenteeism.

scholarly journals Side Effects and Perceptions Following COVID-19 Vaccination in Jordan: A Randomized, Cross-Sectional Study Implementing Machine Learning for Predicting Severity of Side Effects

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 556
Author(s):  
Ma’mon M. Hatmal ◽  
Mohammad A. I. Al-Hatamleh ◽  
Amin N. Olaimat ◽  
Malik Hatmal ◽  
Dina M. Alhaj-Qasem ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Medical Attention ◽  
Gradient Boosting ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Post Vaccination ◽  
Extreme Gradient Boosting

Background: Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic, there was no doubt that vaccination is the ideal protocol to tackle it. Within a year, a few COVID-19 vaccines have been developed and authorized. This unparalleled initiative in developing vaccines created many uncertainties looming around the efficacy and safety of these vaccines. This study aimed to assess the side effects and perceptions following COVID-19 vaccination in Jordan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by distributing an online survey targeted toward Jordan inhabitants who received any COVID-19 vaccines. Data were statistically analyzed and certain machine learning (ML) tools, including multilayer perceptron (MLP), eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), random forest (RF), and K-star were used to predict the severity of side effects. Results: A total of 2213 participants were involved in the study after receiving Sinopharm, AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, and other vaccines (38.2%, 31%, 27.3%, and 3.5%, respectively). Generally, most of the post-vaccination side effects were common and non-life-threatening (e.g., fatigue, chills, dizziness, fever, headache, joint pain, and myalgia). Only 10% of participants suffered from severe side effects; while 39% and 21% of participants had moderate and mild side effects, respectively. Despite the substantial variations between these vaccines in the presence and severity of side effects, the statistical analysis indicated that these vaccines might provide the same protection against COVID-19 infection. Finally, around 52.9% of participants suffered before vaccination from vaccine hesitancy and anxiety; while after vaccination, 95.5% of participants have advised others to get vaccinated, 80% felt more reassured, and 67% believed that COVID-19 vaccines are safe in the long term. Furthermore, based on the type of vaccine, demographic data, and side effects, the RF, XGBoost, and MLP gave both high accuracies (0.80, 0.79, and 0.70, respectively) and Cohen’s kappa values (0.71, 0.70, and 0.56, respectively). Conclusions: The present study confirmed that the authorized COVID-19 vaccines are safe and getting vaccinated makes people more reassured. Most of the post-vaccination side effects are mild to moderate, which are signs that body’s immune system is building protection. ML can also be used to predict the severity of side effects based on the input data; predicted severe cases may require more medical attention or even hospitalization.

scholarly journals Older adults’ vaccine hesitancy: psychosocial predictors of influenza, pneumococcal, & shingles vaccine uptake

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 913-914
Author(s):  
Louise Brown Nicholls ◽  
Allyson Gallant ◽  
Nicola Cogan ◽  
Susan Rasmussen ◽  
David Young ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Influenza Vaccine ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Collective Responsibility ◽  
Vaccine Uptake ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Natural Immunity ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Increased Risk

Abstract Influenza, pneumococcal disease, and shingles are more prevalent in older people, with this group having an increased risk of developing severe illnesses and complications. These illnesses are preventable via vaccination, but uptake of these vaccines is low and decreasing year-on-year. However, little research has focused on understanding the reasons behind vaccine hesitancy in older adults. We implemented a cross-sectional survey to determine the self-reported vaccination behaviours of 372 UK-based adults aged 65-92 years. We assessed previous uptake and future intention to receive the influenza, pneumococcal, and shingles vaccines. Participants also self-reported their health and socio-demographic data, and completed two scales measuring the psychological factors associated with vaccination behaviour (5C and VAX scales). Self-reported daily functioning, cognitive ability, and social support were also assessed. Considerably more participants had received the influenza vaccine in the last 12 months (83.6%), relative to having ever received the pneumococcal (60.2%) and shingles vaccines (58.9%). Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that a lower sense of collective responsibility independently predicted lack of uptake of all three vaccines in this population. Greater calculation of the disease/vaccination risk and preference for natural immunity also predicted not getting the influenza vaccine. For both the pneumococcal and shingles vaccines, concerns about profiteering predicted lack of uptake. Therefore, more understanding of vaccine benefits and disease risks may be required for these vaccines. Additional qualitative data generally supported these findings, which can contribute to future intervention development and research targeted at more diverse groups (e.g. older adults with cognitive impairments).

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