Social deprivation indexes and anti-influenza vaccination coverage in the elderly in Sardinia, Italy, with a focus on the Sassari municipality

Azara

et al. 2020

Self Cite

The aim of this work is to evaluate the attitudes, behaviours, and knowledge of health workers employed at an Italian University Hospital on the topic of vaccinations and in regard to flu vaccination. To this end, the study provided for the articulation of a computerised questionnaire on the digital platform EUSurvey which was administered online via e-mail to a sample of 457 health workers, in the period between November 2018 and March 2019. The data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. In particular, a logistic regression analysis was carried out in order to evaluate the relationship between the variables collected and the dichotomous outcome (vaccinated/unvaccinated subjects in the 2018–2019 season). The results, in line with what has been reported by the literature, highlighted that vaccine hesitancy is prevalent also among health workers. Furthermore, according to our study, only 30.6% of the health care workers had the flu vaccination. The survey points out the need to plan educational and informative interventions aimed at changing the attitudes, behaviours, and knowledge of health workers in the field of flu vaccination, for the purpose of protecting the health of healthcare personnel and their patients.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flu Vaccination Attitudes, Behaviours, and Knowledge among Health Workers

Arghittu

Azara

et al. 2020

Self Cite

“…This negatively affects adherence to immunisation programmes [ 5 ]. It is well known that risk perception may increase or decrease an individual’s willingness to accept vaccination, especially among certain groups (e.g., frail individuals and HCWs), since the self-perceived risk of contracting a disease is directly linked to the choice to undergo vaccination [ 6 , 7 ]. Moreover, since people no longer have experience of those infectious diseases that have been averted through vaccination, parents do not perceive the need to immunise themselves and their children, thus, exposing themselves to the possibility of contracting the natural disease and/or its sequelae [ 8 , 9 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge and Behaviours towards Immunisation Programmes: Vaccine Hesitancy during the COVID-19 Pandemic Era

Arghittu

Castiglia

2022

Self Cite

Assessing knowledge, attitudes and behaviours towards vaccination is a key strategy when implementing national and international immunisation programmes aimed at improving compliance among the population and thereby increasing vaccination coverage. While vaccination’s role as a powerful life-saving weapon in the fight against infectious diseases has been further highlighted following the introduction of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, there is still a discrepancy between the scientific evidence on the effectiveness of vaccines and the perception of the risk attributed to them. Known as “Vaccine Hesitancy” (VH), this phenomenon is the delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines, despite the availability of services. VH can be found in at least 15% of the worldwide population, and even professional groups tasked with promoting vaccination as a primary prevention measure, e.g., healthcare workers (HCWs), sometimes have doubts regarding vaccination. Since 2014, this Public Health problem has been increasing in 90% of countries worldwide, to the extent that in 2019 it was listed as one of the ten greatest threats to global health by the World Health Organization (WHO). VH has also affected COVID-19 vaccination, hampering the achievement of desired vaccination coverage. Monitoring this trend by studying people’s behaviour and attitudes could be a useful tool to aid Public Health, in orienting vaccination policies and designing new health education and continuous training interventions, aimed at both the general public and accountable cohorts, such as HCWs.

“…Over time, there has been a shift from institutional information aimed indiscriminately at the general public to a model in which health communication sources and genres are present heterogeneously and to which various population groups have access based on their different levels of interest and education in an increasingly personal and conscious management of their own health [3,4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Second Edition of Special Issue “Strategies and Evidence in Health Communication: Evidence and Perspectives”

Castiglia

2022

Self Cite

The second edition of this Special Issue “Strategies and Evidence in Health Communication”, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health aims primarily to increase international literature evidence and observations in the field regarding: (i) health communication strategies and crisis communication, (ii) health education and health advocacy, and (iii) the fight against the phenomenon of Vaccine Hesitancy (VH) through training and communication activities targeting the general public and health professionals. This Special Issue builds on the premise that, despite the fact that theoretical and experimental research has contributed to an increase in knowledge and evidence about the importance of communication in healthcare, communication professionals in this field still face great challenges when trying to develop messages that effectively change the behavior of large groups of people. The need to relay fast and reliable information to the general public has therefore led public institutions to seek out new and innovative ways of transmitting health-related content. In particular, for some time now, Public Health has also been making use of the Internet and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to reach various population groups and achieve better health conditions for all. This practice, known as Digital Health or E-health, provides healthcare using digital tools (e.g., websites and social media networks) and easy-to-understand language. This is particularly important in the current pandemic context, where Public Health continues to face many problems and difficulties in persuading people to adhere to the guidelines issued for the containment of COVID-19, with particular reference to vaccination programs, hence the importance of acquiring and strengthening communication skills in healthcare, where correct and effective communication is immediately beneficial both to professionals and patients.