Mothers' Intention to Vaccinate Their Children Aged 5-11 Against COVID-19: A Cross-sectional Survey.

Objectives: COVID-19 vaccines lower the risk of infection hospitalization, and death. Despite the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, some caregivers are hesitant to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. In this study, we explored the factors that influence Omani mothers' intentions to vaccinate their 5-11 year-old children. Methods: Of the 954 mothers approached, 700 (73.4%) participated in a cross-sectional face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaire in Muscat, Oman, between 20 February and 13 March 2022. Data on age, income, level of education, trust in doctors, vaccine hesitancy, and intention to vaccinate their children were collected. Logistic regression was used to assess determinants of mothers' intention to vaccinate their children. Results: Most mothers had 1-2 children (n = 525, 75.0%), had a college degree or higher education (73.0%), and were employed (70.8%). More than half (n = 392, 56.0%) reported that they were likely or very likely to get their children vaccinated. The intention to get children vaccinated was associated with older age (odds ratio (OR) = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02-1.08; p =0.003), trust in their doctor (OR = 2.12, 95%, CI: 1.71-2.62; p < 0.001), and low vaccine hesitancy (OR = 25.91, 95% CI: 16.92-39.64; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Understanding the factors that influence caregivers' intentions to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 is important for the development of evidence-based vaccine campaigns. To increase and sustain high vaccination rates for COVID-19 vaccination in children, it is critical to address the factors that cause caregiver hesitation about vaccines.

Psychological and sleep-related factors among quarantined Omani students returning from abroad

<bold>Background</bold>: One of the many repercussions from the COVID-19 pandemic has been stress. The death toll from the pandemic, as well as sleep loss, have been noted to be the root causes of COVID-19 related stress and distress among students in the Arabian Gulf countries. <bold>Aims:</bold> This study aimed to examine the relationship between self-reported sleeping problems and the socio-demographic, clinical and lifestyle factors among quarantined Omani students arriving from abroad <bold>Methods:</bold> This was a cross-sectional analytical study conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, from April 1-10 2020. The participants were all Omani students who had arrived from abroad during the pandemic. The outcome measures consisted of the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder -7 (GAD-7), as well as relevant socio-demographic, clinical, and lifestyle factors. <bold>Result:</bold> A total of 376 participants were included in this study with 49.5% (n = 186) noted to be suffering from insomnia. Multivariate logistic analysis suggested that female students were 2.4 times (odds ratio [OR] = 2.43;confidence interval [CI]: 1.50-3.93;<italic>P</italic> < .001) more likely to suffer from insomnia when compared to male students. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> Almost half of the participants self-reported sleeping problems, with a higher prevalence among female students. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Biological Rhythm Research is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)