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The Determinants of Vaccine Literacy in the Italian Population: Results from the Health Literacy Survey 2019.

ABSTRACT: Vaccines are among the most important public health achievements of the last century; however, vaccine awareness and uptake still face significant challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this phenomenon. Vaccine Literacy (VL) is the ability to find, understand and judge immunisation-related information to make appropriate immunisation decisions. A cross-sectional study on a sample of 3500 participants, representative of the Italian adult population aged 18+ years, was conducted in Italy in 2021. A validated questionnaire, including sections on health literacy (HL), sociodemographic characteristics, risk factors, and lifestyles of respondents, was used. VL was measured by four items (item 19, 22, 26 and 29) of the HL section. While 67.6% of the respondents had a "good" (47.5%) or "sufficient" (20.1%) level of VL, 32.4% had "limited" VL levels. Although the overall VL level was quite high, many participants reported difficulties in dealing with vaccination information, particularly those with a lower educational level, those living in southern and insular regions of Italy, those with greater financial deprivation and those with a migration background. Improving VL in Italy should be a top priority in the political agenda, with special regard to socially and geographically disadvantaged communities.

SUBMITTER: Cadeddu C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9029177 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The Determinants of Vaccine Literacy in the Italian Population: Results from the Health Literacy Survey 2019.

Cadeddu Chiara C Regazzi Luca L Bonaccorsi Guglielmo G Rosano Aldo A Unim Brigid B Griebler Robert R Link Thomas T De Castro Paola P D'Elia Roberto R Mastrilli Valeria V Palmieri Luigi L

International journal of environmental research and public health 20220407 8

Vaccines are among the most important public health achievements of the last century; however, vaccine awareness and uptake still face significant challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this phenomenon. Vaccine Literacy (VL) is the ability to find, understand and judge immunisation-related information to make appropriate immunisation decisions. A cross-sectional study on a sample of 3500 participants, representative of the Italian adult population aged 18+ years, was conducted ...[more]

PMID: 35457297

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Project description:BackgroundThe World Health Organization (WHO) recommends ongoing surveillance of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors, using the WHO STEPwise approach to surveillance (STEPS). The aim of this study was to assess the distribution and determinants of NCD risk factors in Nepal, a low-income country, in which two-thirds (66%) of annual deaths are attributable to NCDs.MethodsA nationally representative NCD risk factors STEPS survey (instrument version 3.2), was conducted between February and May 2019, among 6,475 eligible participants of age 15-69 years sampled from all 7 provinces through multistage sampling process. Data collection involved assessment of behavioral and biochemical risk factors. Complex survey analysis was completed in STATA 15, along with Poisson regression modelling to examine associations between covariates and risk factor prevalence.ResultsThe most prevalent risk factor was consumption of less than five servings of fruit and vegetables a day (97%; 95% CI: 94.3-98.0). Out of total participants, 17% (95% CI: 15.1-19.1) were current smoker, 6.8% (95% CI: 5.3-8.2) were consuming ≥60g/month alcohol per month and 7.4% (95% CI:5.7-10.1) were having low level of physical activity. Approximately, 24.3% (95% CI: 21.6-27.2) were overweight or obese (BMI≥25kg/m2) while 24.5% (95% CI: 22.4-26.7) and 5.8% (95% CI: 4.3-7.3) had raised blood pressure (BP) and raised blood glucose respectively. Similarly, the prevalence of raised total cholesterol was 11% (95% CI: 9.6-12.6). Sex and education level of participants were statistically associated with smoking, harmful alcohol use and raised BP. Participants of age 30-44 years and 45-69 years were found to have increased risk of overweight, raised BP, raised blood sugar and raised blood cholesterol. Similarly, participants in richest wealth quintile had higher odds of insufficient physical inactivity, overweight and raised blood cholesterol. On average, each participant had 2 NCD related risk factors (2.04, 95% CI: 2.02-2.08).ConclusionA large portion of the Nepalese population are living with a variety of NCD risk factors. These surveillance data should be used to support and monitor province specific NCD prevention and control interventions throughout Nepal, supported by a multi-sectoral national coordination mechanism.

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Project description:In collaboration with RTI International, the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) administered a survey to North American companies working with nanomaterials to assess health and safety practices. The results would contribute to understanding the impact of the efforts made by the NIOSH Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC) in communicating occupational health and safety (OHS) considerations for workers when handling these materials. The survey, developed by RAND Corporation, was conducted online from September 2019-December 2019. Forty-five companies or organizations in the U.S. and Canada that fabricate, manufacture, handle, dispose, or otherwise use nanomaterials completed the survey. The survey was designed to answer research questions regarding the nanomaterials in use, which resources the companies have consulted for OHS guidance, and the overall OHS culture at the companies. Other questions specifically addressed whether the companies interacted with NIOSH or NIOSH resources to inform OHS policies and practices. Among participating companies, 57.8% had a maximum of 50 employees. Gold nanoparticles and polymers were most common (n = 20; 45.5% each), followed by graphene (36.4%), carbon nanotubes and nanofibers (34.1%), and zinc oxide nanoparticles (31.8%). Environmental monitoring was performed by 31.8% of the companies. While 88.9% of the companies had laminar flow cabinets, only 67.5% required it to be used with ENMs. Information and training programs were indicated by 90% of the sample, and only 29.6% performed specific health surveillance for ENM workers. Personal protective equipment primarily included gloves (100%) and eye/face protection (97.7%). More than a third (37.8%) of the respondents reported using at least one NIOSH resource to acquire information about safe handling of ENMs. The small number of companies that responded to and completed the survey is a considerable limitation to this study. However, the survey data are valuable for gauging the reach and influence of the NIOSH NTRC on nano OHS and for informing future outreach, particularly to small businesses.

Dataset Information

The Determinants of Vaccine Literacy in the Italian Population: Results from the Health Literacy Survey 2019.

Publications

The Determinants of Vaccine Literacy in the Italian Population: Results from the Health Literacy Survey 2019.

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