COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among medical and health science students attending Wolkite University in Ethiopia.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Medical and health science students are among the frontline health care workers who are at high risk of acquiring COVID-19 infection during their clinical attachments and future career. As health care providers, they are expected to promote and administer the COVID-19 vaccine and counsel vaccine-hesitant patients. It is, therefore, imperative to assess COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among medical and health science students. Thus, this study aimed to assess COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and its associated factors among medical and health science students of Wolkite University.Method
An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 420 medical and health science students attending Wolkite University from March 1 to 30, 2021. Simple random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Self-administered and structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were entered into Epi-Data version 4.2.0 and exported to SPSS version 23 software package for further analysis. Bivariable and multivariable analysis was used to identify associated factors. P values <0.05 result were considered as a statistically significant association.Results
The level of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was 41.2% (95% CI; 35.2%-50.4%). Student age ≤23 years were 1.9 times more likely vaccine hesitant [aOR = 1.94, 95% CI; 1.14-3.28], being female were 1.7 times more likely vaccine hesitant [aOR = 1.76, 95% CI; 1.14-2.72], resided in rural area were 1.6 times more likely vaccine hesitant [aOR = 1.63, 95% CI; 1.06-2.49], source of information from social media were 2.7 times more likely vaccine hesitant [aOR = 2.68, 95% CI; 1.58-4.54], and good practice to COVID-19 mitigation measures were 47% less likely vaccine hesitant [aOR = 0.53, 95% CI; 0.34-0.83] compared to their counterpart.Conclusions
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is found to be high. Therefore, students are advised to receive COVID-19 vaccine information from government lead mass media (i.e. television and radio), increase awareness and adherence to COVID-19 mitigation measures is recommended.
SUBMITTER: Mose A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8789154 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine was launched in India on 16 January 2021, prioritising health care workers which included medical students. We aimed to assess vaccine hesitancy and factors related to it among medical students in India. An online questionnaire was filled by 1068 medical students across 22 states and union territories of India from 2 February to 7 March 2021. Vaccine hesitancy was found among 10.6%. Concern regarding vaccine safety and efficacy, lack of awareness regarding their eligibility for vaccination and lack of trust in government agencies predicted COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among medical students. On the other hand, the presence of risk perception regarding themselves being affected with COVID-19 reduced vaccine hesitancy as well as hesitancy in participating in COVID-19 vaccine trials. Vaccine-hesitant students were more likely to derive information from social media and less likely from teachers at their medical colleges. Choosing between the two available vaccines (Covishield and Covaxin) was considered important by medical students both for themselves and for their future patients. Covishield was preferred to Covaxin by students. Majority of those willing to take the COVID-19 vaccine felt that it was important for them to resume their clinical posting, face-to-face classes and get their personal life back on track. Around three-fourths medical students viewed that COVID-19 vaccine should be made mandatory for both health care workers and international travellers. Prior adult vaccination did not have an effect on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Targeted awareness campaigns, regulatory oversight of vaccine trials and public release of safety and efficacy data and trust building activities could further reduce COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among medical students.
| S-EPMC8185413 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We conducted a survey study at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai to assess COVID-19 vaccine attitudes and behaviors among medical students. Almost all respondents (96.5%, n = 222) believed vaccines were effective and reported being asked about the COVID-19 vaccine by family members (79.0%, n = 180). However, when asked how they respond when someone shares misinformation, 89.0% (n = 202) responded they agree to avoid conflict, 44.9% (n = 102) listened empathically, and 9.3% (n = 21) corrected the misinformation. Medical school education can address this disconnect, using standardized patients and role-playing to give students the tools to address vaccine hesitancy within their communities.Supplementary informationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-022-01670-2.
| S-EPMC9638195 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The objectives were to explore, among university students, the level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, hesitancy, and resistancy and to determine the motivations and barriers, and the reasons that may change student vaccination decision making. An online observational cross-sectional study was conducted among students of a French university in January 2021 with questions about the intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the motivations and the barriers. The convenience sample included 3089 students, with a mean of age of 20.3 (SD = 1.9). To the question on the intention to vaccinate against the COVID-19, 58.0% of students reported that they would choose to have a vaccination, 17.0% reported that they would not and 25.0% were not sure. The main motivations for vaccine acceptance were "I don't want to transmit COVID-19 to others", the main barriers for vaccine resistance or hesitancy were "I prefer to wait until I have more experience with these new vaccines". Age, female gender, being in first three years of study, studied sciences courses and neither sciences nor healthcare courses of study were significantly associated with a higher risk of vaccine hesitancy or resistancy. Self-estimated knowledge of conventional vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines, and confidence in efficiency and safety of conventional vaccination were associated with a lower risk of vaccine hesitancy or resistancy. It is relevant to disseminate evidence-based interventions to promote COVID-19 vaccine acceptability for college students, especially for the students in neither sciences nor healthcare courses of study, as college students will soon be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
| S-EPMC8232624 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPremenstrual syndrome (PMS) is used to describe physical, cognitive, affective, and behavioral symptoms that affect young and middle-aged women occurring cyclically during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Despite the considerable prevalence and impact of PMS on individuals, their families and communities that interferes with the development of nations, many professionals are still unaware of it and little attention has been given in developing countries like Ethiopia, especially for university students. Therefore, this study was aimed for assessing the magnitude of premenstrual syndrome, associated factors and coping mechanisms among Wolkite university female regular students, 2021.MethodsInstitutional-based cross sectional study was conducted among Wolkite University regular female students from June 15/10/2021 to 30/10/2021 by using simple random and multistage with systematic random sampling technique to select the study participants (n = 591). Data were collected using a self-administered, pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire. Premenstrual syndrome scales comprised of 40 questions with three sub-scales were used to determine Premenstrual syndrome. Data were cleaned, coded and entered into Epi-data version-3.1, and analyzed using SPSS software version 25. Descriptive statistics were computed for independent variables as well as for coping mechanisms and presented in narration, tables and graphs. Analytic analysis schemes including bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression were computed to identify factors associated with premenstrual syndrome and those variables with a P value of < 0.05 in multivariable analysis were declared as statistically significant.ResultFrom the total of 631 study subjects, only 591 had completed the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 93.7%. From 591 study participants, 224 (37.9%) [95% CI: (34, 40.9)] of them had premenstrual syndrome. Abdominal cramp (78.8%), depression (73.3%) and fatigue (72.9%) were frequent premenstrual symptoms experienced by students. Having family history of PMS [AOR: 4.05; 95% CI: (2.49, 6.58)], no history of sexual intercourse [AOR: 2; 95% CI: (1.12, 3.47)], severe menstrual pain intensity [AOR: 3.09; 95% CI: (1.58, 6.05)], irregular menstrual cycle [AOR: 2.26; 95% CI: (1.41, 3.62)], early age of menarche (< 13 years) [AOR: 2.64; 95% CI: (1.34, 5.19)], long duration of menses (≥ 7 days) [AOR: 3.56; 95% CI: (1.53, 8.37)] and using many pads (> 8) during menstruation [AOR: 4.44; 95% CI: (2.16, 9.12)] were factors significantly associated with premenstrual syndrome. 93.4% of students apply at least one coping mechanism for premenstrual symptoms, of which; taking rest (67.6%) and sleeping (60.7%) were common strategies.ConclusionIn this study, premenstrual syndrome was found to be a problem of many students. Abdominal cramp, depressed feeling and fatigue were the predominant premenstrual symptoms experienced by students. Taking rest and sleeping were mostly applied by students as a coping mechanism. Family history of PMS, no history of sexual intercourse, intense menstrual pain, use of many pads during menstruation, irregular menstrual cycle, early menarche, and long duration of menses were found to be predictors of premenstrual syndrome. PMS needs great attention as part of the health care service in Ethiopia by involving all stockholders, including policy makers and health care professionals, to reduce its impact on the academic performance of university students.
| S-EPMC8942154 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveCoffee holds a cherished place in Ethiopian culture, its consumption among students raises concerns despite its perceived benefits for alertness and productivity. Moderate caffeine intake remains unproblematic, but exceeding 400 mg daily can trigger detrimental health effects such as fatigue, memory impairment, and even attention-deficit disorder. Research on problematic coffee use among young adults, specifically Ethiopian students, remains limited, hindering our understanding of its potential scope and impact. To address this knowledge gap, researchers at Dilla University, Ethiopia, undertook a comprehensive study in 2022, focusing on the university's student population. This investigation holds significant potential to unveil the previously obscured landscape of excessive coffee consumption in this demographic and inform future research and potential interventions.MethodologyAn institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted in August-July, 2022. To measure problematic coffee use, this study used the Diagnostic Statistical Manual five criteria for substance use disorder. Those who scored >2 out of 11 criteria were considered to have problematic coffee use. To measure a significant association between the outcome and independent variable, a multivariable logistic regression analysis at p < 0.05 and 95% confidence interval was employed.ResultThis study included 414 respondents. More than half of the respondents, 347 (59.7%) were male. Out of all respondents, 182 (44.0%) had a boy/girlfriend. Nearly half of the respondents, 218 (52.7%) were orthodox, Christian religion followers. According to this study's findings, 137 (33.1%) respondents were considered to have problematic coffee use. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that 5-10 years duration of coffee use (AOR = 4.62, 95% CI: 2.96-7.85; p = 0.001), start to use coffee before joining university (AOR = 2.977, 95% CI: 1.332-6.653; p = 0.008) and 6-9 cups of daily coffee use (AOR = 3.26, 95% CI: 2.14-5.89; p = 0.00) were associated with problematic coffee use.ConclusionThis study showed that one-third of the respondents had problematic coffee use. The starting point, duration, and amount of use had a strong association with problematic coffee use. Hence, focusing on addressing the mental health challenges associated with problematic/excessive coffee consumption among higher education students is advisable. Additionally, promoting awareness of problematic/excessive coffee use and its potential remedies is recommended.
| S-EPMC10964470 | biostudies-literature
Project description:COVID-19 booster hesitancy (VBH) is a serious public health challenge which acts simultaneously with the waning vaccine-elicited immunity and the emerging viral variants to prolong the pandemic interval. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of COVID-19 VBH among a highly educated subset of the German population and to explore the potential demographic, anamnestic, and psychosocial determinants of this problem. A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted in December 2021 among German university students and employees to evaluate their attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccine booster (VB) doses. The study used a self-administered questionnaire that was developed and disseminated digitally, and the questionnaire inquired about participants' demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related anamnesis, COVID-19 vaccine-related anamnesis, and psychosocial predictors of COVID-19 VBH. A total of 930 participants were recruited, of which 608 (65.4%) were students, 682 (73.3%) were females, and their mean age was 29.08 ± 10.93 years. Fifty-five participants (5.9%) had been previously infected by COVID-19 and the vast majority of infections happened before the first vaccine dose. Over 95% of the participants had received at least one vaccine dose, and the most commonly administered vaccine was BNT162b2. The overall COVID-19 VB acceptance was satisfactory (87.8%) and induced by various altruistic promoters, e.g., family health protection, community health protection, and patients' health protection. The students (86.3%), the previously infected participants (76.4%), the participants who did not receive primer doses of COVID-19 vaccines (2.5 %), and those who were hospitalized (40%) and sought medical care/treatment after receiving primer doses (86.8%) were less likely to accept COVID-19 VB compared to the employees (90.7%), the participants who were not previously infected (88.6%) and those who received primer dose (91.7%), and the participants who were not hospitalized (92%) nor sought medical care/treatment after primer doses (92.9%), respectively. The perceived effectiveness of COVID-19 VB against severe illness (adjusted odds ratio "AOR": 47.65-95% confidence interval "CI": 23.65-96.49), symptomatic infection (AOR: 9.87-95% CI: 5.20-18.71), community transmission (AOR: 5.34-95% CI: 3.00-9.49) and emerging variants (AOR: 19.12-95% CI: 10.57-34.55) were key predictors for COVID-19 VB acceptance; therefore, it needs to be highlighted in vaccine messaging. In addition, the perceived safety of COVID-19 VB and ethical dilemmas of vaccine justice need to be addressed publicly.
| S-EPMC9021373 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PurposeTo investigate university students' willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available to them.MethodA multi-methods approach was used-online convenience sample surveys and semi-structured interviews-of young adults attending a large Canadian public university. Two survey samples were collected (June 20-July 28, 2020 and September 22-October 17, 2020). Semi-structured interviews were conducted following each survey, interviewing 20 students in each round.ResultsIn June 77.8% of surveyed students (n = 483) were willing to get the COVID-19 vaccine; in September 79.6% were willing (n = 1269). Multinomial and binary logistic regression analyses found that increasing perception of the severity of COVID-19 predicted the likelihood that a respondent was willing to get the COVID-19 vaccine in both surveys. In the latter survey students who indicated they would be encouraged to get the COVID-19 vaccine if their doctor/pharmacist recommended it were 76 times more likely to be willing to get the vaccine than those who would not be encouraged by medical advice. Interviews revealed concerns about the speed of the vaccine roll out, safety, and efficacy.ConclusionsThe majority of university students intend to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but there are nuanced concerns about efficacy and safety that must be taken into account by public health authorities as the vaccine becomes available to this group. Ensuring that family doctors, pharmacists, and other front-line healthcare workers have consistent and clear information regarding the benefits of vaccination will be critical to encouraging uptake among young adults.
| S-EPMC8330905 | biostudies-literature
Project description:university students are believed to retain the highest levels of health literacy. They are perceived as the opinion leaders within their communities; therefore, their health-related beliefs and attitudes are deemed important for public health campaigns. This study aimed to investigate the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy drivers among university students in the Czech Republic. a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was carried out in the weeks before the unrestricted vaccine deployment to Czech adults. The questionnaire had 21 multiple-choice items stratified in 4 categories; demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related anamnesis and influenza vaccine experience, attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination, and the possible drivers of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy suggested by the WHO-SAGE. out of the 1351 included students, 66.8% were females, 84.5% were Czech nationals, and 40.6% enrolled in healthcare programs. The overall COVID-19 vaccine acceptance level was 73.3%, 19.3% of participants were vaccine-resistant, and only 7.4% were vaccine-hesitant. Trust in the pharmaceutical industry, trust in healthcare providers, and perceived knowledge sufficiency predicted higher odds of vaccine acceptance. In contrast, media and social media, personal beliefs, immunity misconception, previous COVID-19 infection, and suspicions about novel vaccines and the local availability predicted higher odds of vaccine hesitancy. The findings of this study predict a fair probability to achieve community immunity (herd immunity) among the target population group. The primary prevention strategies in the Czech Republic need to be culturally sensitive and inclusive for foreign nationals. As one-quarter of the participating students are dependent on vaccine safety data, this study findings support the call for independent studies evaluating the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines.
| S-EPMC8470400 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The recent Covid 19 pandemic revealed the global challenge posed by infectious diseases. Vaccines are a crucial tool in preventing pandemics, as evidenced by their success in controlling past outbreaks. The rise of information and communication technology has introduced social media platforms as potential game-changers in both preventing and managing future pandemics. However, these same platforms can also be a double-edged sword, hindering the uptake of essential vaccination services. This study investigated the association between social media use and vaccine hesitancy among medical students. The study was designed as an institution based cross sectional study of 423 medical students in Kenya Medical Training College and University of Kabianga in Kericho County. Stratified sampling was used to decide on the two institutions and systematic random sampling was used to select the study participants. Research administered questionnaires were used to collect data on the socio-demographic characteristics, use of social media platforms, social media campaigns, and uptake of Covid 19 vaccines. The collected data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25. Chi square was used to establish the association between the independent variables and uptake of Covid 19 vaccines. The variables that were significantly associated with hesitancy to Covid 19 vaccines were further analyzed using binary logistic regression. The confidence interval (CI) was set at 95% and statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05. The study found significant associations between vaccine hesitancy and several factors, including academic level, preferred social media platform, the influence of social media on attitudes towards vaccines, concerns about vaccine safety and efficacy, and confidence in vaccines. The findings present social media as a potential platform for promotion of vaccines utilization during pandemics when used well.
| S-EPMC11341036 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Medical students are in close contact with patients and should adhere to the same recommendations as healthcare workers. The study aimed to explore medical students' hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccine and evaluate fear of COVID-19 and its relationship with hesitancy. A cross-sectional survey was conducted amongst a sample of medical students attending clinical years (November 2020-February 2021, Italy). Multivariable regressions were performed (p < 0.05 as significant). A total of 929 students participated (58.6% of eligible students). Hesitancy was reported by 6.7%; extreme fear of COVID-19 by 42.0%. Among hesitancy predictors, there were the survey completion before COVID-19 vaccine authorisation (adjOR = 6.43), adverse reactions after a vaccination (adjOR = 3.30), and receiving advice against COVID-19 vaccination from a relative (adjOR = 2.40). Students who received the recommended paediatric vaccinations (adjOR = 0.10), students with higher adherence to preventive measures (adjOR = 0.98), and students with fear of contracting COVID-19 with regard to the health of loved ones (adjOR = 0.17) were less likely to be hesitant. Females (adjOR = 1.85), students with poor health (adjOR = 1.64), students who had a loved one severely affected by COVID-19 (adjOR = 1.68), and students with fear of contracting flu (adjOR = 3.06) had a higher likelihood of reporting extreme fear. Hesitancy was remarkably lower than in similar studies. However, there is room for improvement in university activities that could deepen the competence in vaccines. Our focus on fear should not be overlooked, since the extent of extreme fear that we found might represent a substantial burden, considering the associations between fear and other health outcomes.
| S-EPMC9160103 | biostudies-literature