Knowledge and healthcare professionals' perceptions of influenza vaccination in the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia (2019-2020)

A comparative analysis of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) towards influenza and influenza vaccination among healthcare workers in Kyrgyzstan prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic

INTRODUCTION

Influenza, a globally significant respiratory illness with pandemic potential, affects around 1 billion individuals annually, leading to increased risk for severe illness and mortality. Despite recommendations from the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) and MoH prioritization, influenza vaccination coverage rate among HCWs in Kyrgyzstan remains low, ranging between 16 % and 46 % over the past five years. Understanding the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) dynamics of HCWs regarding influenza vaccinations, both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial for refining national strategies and institutional approaches to enhance vaccination coverage rates in this important risk group.

METHOD

This study employed cross sectional investigations aimed at assessing KAPs among HCWs regarding influenza disease and vaccination. Conducted prior to and during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project involved 2400 participants from diverse medical disciplines. EPI Info was utilized to run biostatistical analyses, with descriptive and logistic regression models, to elucidate the dynamics of KAP over time.

RESULTS

The findings indicate that HCWs with over 5 years of experience were more likely to get vaccinated or recommend it to patients (p = 0.000). Low confidence in vaccine effectiveness influenced on recommendations of influenza vaccination in pre-pandemic time, where insufficient (95 %CI 0.08-0.6; p = 0.003) or uncertain assurance in vaccine effectiveness (95 %CI 0.007-0.18; p = 0.000) was a barrier for vaccine promotion during the pandemic. The study underscores to consider mandatory influenza vaccination for HCWs which may impact on likelihood of flu vaccination (p = 0.001). Priority groups for influenza vaccination shifted during the COVID-19 period, emphasizing older adults, individuals with existing conditions, and HCWs, compared to the pre-pandemic focus on HCWs, children, and patients with pre-existing conditions.

CONCLUSION

Our investigation provides valuable insights into HCWs KAP concerning influenza vaccination in Kyrgyzstan, highlighting the need for targeted interventions addressing factors influencing vaccine acceptance. The study suggests policy implications, advocating for the revision of national strategies to strengthen capacity building for medical staff.

The nurse anesthetist’s perception of the role of case manager in four provinces of Indonesia

Introduction

Integrated and patient-focused healthcare is urgently needed, and there is an important role for case managers in implementing them. However, the understanding of healthcare providers, especially nurse anesthetists, about the role of case managers is still varied and is often considered only as a complement to hospital accreditation. This study aimed to determine the factors that influence the nurse anesthetist’s perception of the role of the case manager.

Methods

This cross-sectional study involved 369 nurse anesthetists who were selected using cluster sampling. Data collection was done using Google Forms. Furthermore, the data were analyzed using multiple logistic regression to identify the factors that influence the nurse anesthetists’ perception of the role of the case manager.

Results

From a total of 369 respondents, most (60%) have a positive perception of case managers. Marital status (AOR = 2.3; 95% CI: 1.27–4.15) and knowledge (AOR = 3.2; 95% CI: 2.03–5.07) were significant predictors of the nurse anesthetist’s perception of the role of the case manager.

Discussion

Even though the majority of nurse anesthetists have positive perceptions, socialization to increase knowledge about case managers is needed to reduce misperceptions about the role of case managers.

Research on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Influenza Vaccination Among Healthcare Workers in Chongqing, China—Based on Structural Equation Model

Background

Influenza is associated with a large number of disease burdens, and it is generally recommended that all healthcare workers (HCWs) get an influenza vaccination. However, the vaccination rates among HCWs are still low. This study aimed to assess HCWs' knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) about the influenza vaccine, and by establishing a structural equation model (SEM) to explore the influencing factors of medical personnel's influenza vaccination in Chongqing, China.

Methods

From September to November 2019, we conducted a cross-sectional survey in four sentinel hospitals and four non-sentinel hospitals in Chongqing, China. We calculated knowledge, attitude, and behavior scores for each study participant and assessed the level of knowledge, attitude, and behavior of the medical staff. An SEM was used to evaluate the relationship between latent variables, and the path graph between knowledge, attitude, and behavior was established.

Results

A total of 1,412 valid questionnaires were collected in this survey, including four sentinel hospitals (N = 606, 42.92%) and four non-sentinel hospitals (N = 806, 57.08%). Women (N = 1,102, 78.05%) were more than men (N = 310, 21.95%), with an average age of 32.36 ± 7.78 years old and under 30 years old (N = 737, 52.20%), respectively. Nurses (741, 52.48%) were the main subjects, followed by physicians (457, 32.37%). The final SEM model was obtained after the model was modified and adjusted. A bootstrap analysis of path coefficients was carried out on the final model. Knowledge has a direct influence on behavior. The normalized path coefficient is 0.071 (95% CI: 0.002–0.161), and the value of P of the hypothesis test result of the path coefficient is 0.042. The direct influence of knowledge on attitude standardization was 0.175 (95% CI: 0.095–0.281). The direct influence of attitude on practice standardization was 0.818 (95% CI: 0.770–0.862). The indirect effect of knowledge on the standardization of practice through attitude was 0.144 (95% CI: 0.076–0.235).

Conclusions

According to the SEM, there is a direct positive correlation between KAP and the influenza vaccine. The indirect influence of knowledge on the standard of behavior through attitude is about two times as much as the direct influence on behavior, indicating that attitude plays a strong mediating role between knowledge and practice.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to influenza and influenza vaccine among healthcare workers in Chongqing, China-a cross-sectional study

Influenza is associated with a substantial disease burden, and influenza vaccination is recommended to all healthcare workers. We aimed to assess healthcare workers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices about influenza and its vaccine in Chongqing, China. A cross-sectional study was conducted at selected hospitals from September to November 2019, in which healthcare workers filled in a self-administered questionnaire. Both sentinel (42.92%) and non-sentinel hospitals (57.08%) were included. The majority were nurses (52.48%) and physicians (32.37%). Half (50.42%) of the respondents had a good command of knowledge, and the proportion of healthcare workers having a positive attitude accounted for 62.68%. The primary information sources were colleagues (58.81%), followed by television, newspapers and media (30.18%). The number of healthcare workers reported having got vaccinated last year was only 237 (16.78%), and the main reason was protecting themselves from influenza (93.25%). While the most common reasons given for not getting vaccinated were having no time (65.70%), believing it is unnecessary to get vaccinated (29.62%), worrying about the quality of influenza vaccine (27.49%) or the adverse reactions (25.70%). Factors associated with self-reported high vaccination were sentinel hospital (aOR: 1.427; 95% CI: 1.057-1.925), high-risk department (aOR: 1.919; 95% CI: 1.423-2.589), positive attitude (aOR: 2.429; 95% CI: 1.697-3.477) and taking the initiative to learn influenza information (aOR: 3.000; 95% CI: 1.983-4.538). We concluded that healthcare workers in Chongqing had some misconceptions although many of them showed a positive attitude toward the influenza vaccine. Various strategies, including educational training and on-site vaccination, are necessary to improve the knowledge and overall vaccination coverage.

Seasonal influenza vaccination coverage and its association with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is still on-going worldwide. The available information regarding the seasonal influenza vaccine (SIV) coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on SARS-CoV-2 spread are limited. Moreover, it is argued that SIV may or may not lessen the COVID-19 severity. No previous studies have been revealed SIV coverage among COVID-19 patients and its association with COVID-19 spread and severity, especially in Saudi Arabia. Hence, this study aimed to estimate the influenza vaccine uptake in confirmed COVID-19 patients and investigate its impact on COVID-19 spread and severity. Accordingly, 1734 COVID-19 confirmed patients were included from three government hospitals in Saudi Arabia (SA). The data were collected electronically through a newly formed, self-administrated questionnaire. Among those patients, 335 were covered with SIV (19.31%), and the coverage rate of females and males was 23.4% and 15.8%, respectively. Severe COVID-19 cases were less in vaccinated patients than in non-vaccinated (2.69% vs. 3.5%, respectively). Additionally, the results showed a significant decrease in getting infected by SARS-CoV-2 after receiving SIV (P = 0.022). Even with the tremendous efforts to promote SIV uptake among the general population and high-risk groups, the SIV coverage in SA is not optimal yet. Nevertheless, there is a significant decrease in the probability of getting infected with SARS-CoV-2 after receiving SIV. Such findings with the continuous progression of the COVID-19 pandemic call for a novel approach regarding vaccination policies to increase SIV and COVID-19 vaccine uptake.