ABSTRACT
Background: It is imperative to ensure optimal vaccine uptake at the population level to combat the deadly COVID-19 pandemic disease. However, refusal of the COVID-19 vaccine, poor knowledge, and a negative attitude towards vaccination are the challenges of the world. College students are among the high-risk subgroups of the population to COVID-19 infection and the main source of information and trust in vaccines to the society. Also, their judgement on vaccine affect the public attitude towards vaccination. Therefore, this study aimed to assess knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination and associated factors among college students in Gondar city, northwest Ethiopia. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 626 study participants in Gondar city. A multistage sampling technique was used to recruit the study participants. A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess factors associated with knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination. The level of significance was claimed based on a p-value < 0.05. Results: In this study, 46.8% (95% CI: 43.3, 50.6) of study participants had good knowledge and 50% (95% CI: 45.9, 53.7) had a positive attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination. Having comorbidity disease and being male were significantly associated with good knowledge. In addition, being married, being a health science student, being exposed to mass media, having a good knowledge of COVID-19 vaccination, and having paternal primary education were significantly associated with a positive attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination. Conclusion: In general, knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination among college students are low. Comorbidity disease and sex were predictors of COVID-19 vaccination knowledge, whereas, marital status, category of college students, mass media, paternal education and knowledge about COVID-19 vaccination were predictors of COVID-19 vaccination attitude. Alleviating participants' concerns and improving their confidence through health education is crucial.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes more than five million deaths worldwide. Pregnant women are at high risk for infection due to the physiologic change in the immune and cardiopulmonary system and also it increases the risk of severe disease, intensive care unit admission, and receive mechanical ventilation when compared with non-pregnant women. It is associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. So pregnant women need to have adhered to preventive measures to prevent COVID-19 related consequences. Therefore, this study aimed to assess adherence toCOVID-19 preventive practice and associated factors among pregnant women in Gondar city, northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July 1st to 30th, 2021, in Gondar city. A cluster sampling technique was employed to select 678 pregnant women. Data were collected using a pre-tested, face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were entered into EPI DATA version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was fitted to identify associated factors. Adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used to report the association between covariates and the outcome variable. RESULTS: The prevalence of good adherence to COVID-19 preventive practice was 44.8% (95% CI: 41.3, 48.7). Maternal age (≤24 years) [AOR = 2.89, 95% CI: 1.37, 6.10], maternal education (secondary school) [AOR = 2.95, 95% CI: 1.58, 5.53] and (college and above) [AOR = 4.57,95% CI: 2.42, 8.62], having ANC follow up [AOR = 2.95, 95% CI: 1.35, 6.46] and adequate knowledge towards COVID-19 [AOR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.20, 2.41] were significantly associated with good adherence to COVID-19 preventive practice. CONCLUSION: In this study, adherence towards COVID-19 preventive practice in pregnant women is low. Hence, it is important to strengthen women's awareness about COVID-19 through different media and health education. In addition, empowering women to attain ANC and special consideration should be given to women who had no formal education.