The Role of Communication and Commitment in COVID-19 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Among University Students in Jordan: Interaction and Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Several fields, such as public health, economy, and science, have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives of the present study were to investigate knowledge, attitudes, communication, commitment, and behavioral practices of Jordan university students; and using structural equation modelling (SEM) to investigate the relationship among COVID-19 knowledge, attitude, communication, commitment and behavioral practices of students. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, the primary data were collected from 1,095 students comprising 298 males (27.21%) and 797 females (72.79%) from three major universities in Jordan using an online-based questionnaire. RESULTS: It was found that scores of knowledge, attitudes, communication, commitment, and behavioral practices of students about COVID-19 were 81.4, 79.3, 70.0, 72.6, and 67.4%, respectively. The results also showed that significant association the variables of knowledge and attitudes as well as the commitment and communication are partial mediators in this relationship. Further, a clear positive relationship was observed between the communication, commitment, and behavioral practices of students. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the importance of communication and commitment to generate proactive behavioral practices.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among women planning for pregnancy, pregnant or breastfeeding mothers in Jordan: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Women planning to become pregnant, who are pregnant, and who are breastfeeding are more hesitant to take COVID-19 vaccines compared to other women globally. AIM: This study investigates COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among women, who are planning for pregnancy, currently pregnant, and breastfeeding women in Jordan. METHODS: An online cross-sectional study was conducted in the biggest three cities in Jordan, including 874 women. RESULTS: Women who were planning for pregnancy, pregnant, or breastfeeding reported statistically significant lower levels of perception of the seriousness of COVID-19 (7.12 ± 0.72, 7.53 ± 1.80, 7.2439 ± 7296, respectively), significant lower levels of perceived benefits of the vaccine (8.92 ± 2.15, 8.73 ± 1.93, 9.09 ± 2.10, respectively), significant lower levels of motivation and causes of action (7.15 ± 1.71, 6.7524 ± 1.40, 7.27 ± 1.68, respectively), and significantly higher levels of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy (31.32 ± 6.40, 30.11 ± 4.49, 30.27 ± 6.29, respectively) than other women. Married women, those whoe were previously infected with COVID-19, and those who had chronic diseases reported statistically significant lower levels of perception of COVID-19 seriousness, perceived benefits of COVID-19 vaccine, motivation to take COVID-19 vaccine, and causes of action, and significantly higher levels of hesitancy to take COVID-19 vaccine than unmarried women, those who have not been infected with COVID-19, and those who were medically healthy (p<0.001). There were statistically significant positive correlations between perception, perceived benefits, motivation, and cause of action with years of education; and statistically significant negative correlations between perception, perceived benefits, motivation, and cause of action with age (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Women who were planning for pregnancy, pregnant, or breastfeeding in Jordan showed miderate scores in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy despite the current international recommendations for its safety for women and their foetuses or neonates.

Post-COVID-19 syndrome among healthcare workers in Jordan.

Background: Post-COVID-19 syndrome covers a wide range of new, recurring or ongoing health conditions, which can occur in anyone who has recovered from COVID-19. The condition may affect multiple systems and organs. Aims: To evaluate the frequency and nature of persistent COVID-19 symptoms among healthcare providers in Jordan. Methods: Post-COVID-19 syndrome refers to symptoms extending beyond 4-12 weeks. We conducted a historical cohort study among 140 healthcare staff employed at the National Center for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Genetics, Amman, Jordan. All of them had been infected with COVID-19 virus during March 2020 to February 2022. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Results: Some 59.3% of the study population reported more than 1 persisting COVID-19 symptom, and among them 97.5%, 62.6% and 40.9% reported more than 1 COVID-19 symptom at 1-3, 3-6 and 6-12 months, respectively, after the acute phase of the infection. Post-COVID-19 syndrome was more prevalent among females than males (79.5% vs 20.5%) (P = 0.006). The most frequent reported symptom was fatigue. Females scored higher on the Fatigue Assessment Scale than males [23.26, standard deviation (SD) 8.00 vs 17.53, SD 5.40] (P < 0.001). No significant cognitive impairment was detected using the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scales. Conclusion: More than half (59.3%) of the healthcare workers in our study reported post-COVID-19 syndrome. Further studies are needed to better understand the frequency and severity of the syndrome among different population groups.

Jordanian Nurses' Perceived Disaster Preparedness: Factors Influencing Successful Planning.

Background: Current disaster knowledge, skills, and preparedness levels need to be evaluated to guide plans to strengthen disaster readiness. Objective: This study aimed to explore the Jordanian staff nurses' perception regarding their familiarity, attitudes, and practices for disaster preparedness (DP) to reduce the negative impacts of disasters. Methods: This is a cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive study. The study was conducted on nurses working at governmental and private hospitals in Jordan. A convenience sample of 240 currently working nurses was recruited to participate in the study. Results: The nurses were somewhat familiar with their role in DP (2.9 ± .84). The nurses' overall attitude towards DP was 2.2 ± 0.38, indicating that respondents had medium attitude levels. A low practice level for DP (1.59 ± 0.45) was also observed. Among the studied demographic variables, there was a significant relationship between experience and prior training with improved familiarity and practices. This indicates a need for strengthening nurses' practical skills as well as their theoretical knowledge. However, there is only a significant difference between attitude scale scores and disaster preparedness training (f = 10.120; p=0.002). Conclusions: The study findings support the need for more training (academic and/or institutional) to increase and improve nursing disaster preparedness locally and globally.

Post-COVID-19 syndrome among healthcare workers in Jordan

Background: Post-COVID-19 syndrome covers a wide range of new, recurring or ongoing health conditions, which can occur in anyone who has recovered from COVID-19. The condition may affect multiple systems and organs. Aims: To evaluate the frequency and nature of persistent COVID-19 symptoms among healthcare providers in Jordan. Methods: Post-COVID-19 syndrome refers to symptoms extending beyond 4–12 weeks. We conducted a historical cohort study among 140 healthcare staff employed at the National Center for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Genetics, Amman, Jordan. All of them had been infected with COVID-19 virus during March 2020 to February 2022. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Results: Some 59.3% of the study population reported more than 1 persisting COVID-19 symptom, and among them 97.5%, 62.6% and 40.9% reported more than 1 COVID-19 symptom at 1–3, 3–6 and 6–12 months, respectively, after the acute phase of the infection. Post-COVID-19 syndrome was more prevalent among females than males (79.5% vs 20.5%) (P = 0.006). The most frequent reported symptom was fatigue. Females scored higher on the Fatigue Assessment Scale than males [23.26, standard deviation (SD) 8.00 vs 17.53, SD 5.40] (P < 0.001). No significant cognitive impairment was detected using the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scales. Conclusion: More than half (59.3%) of the healthcare workers in our study reported post-COVID-19 syndrome. Further studies are needed to better understand the frequency and severity of the syndrome among different population groups.

Clinical outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus-related kidney disease: A Jordanian population cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) increases the risk of cardiovascular (CV) complications, kidney disease progression, and mortality. We aimed to determine the incidence and risk of these outcomes according to DKD phenotype among the Jordanian population. METHODS: A total of 1172 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFRs) of >30 ml/min/1.73 m2 were followed-up from 2019 to 2022. At baseline, patients were classified according to the presence of albuminuria (>30 mg/g creatinine) and reduced eGFR (<60 ml/min/1.73 m2) into four phenotypes: non-DKD (reference category), albuminuric DKD without decreased eGFR, non-albuminuric DKD with decreased eGFR, and albuminuric DKD with decreased eGFR. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 2.9 ± 0.4 years. Overall, 147 patients (12.5 %) experienced CV events, while 61 (5.2 %) demonstrated kidney disease progression (eGFR: <30 ml/min/1.73 m2). The mortality rate was 4.0 %. Multivariable-adjusted risk for CV events and mortality was greatest for the albuminuric DKD with decreased eGFR group (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.45, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 1.02-2.33 and HR: 6.36, 95 % CI: 2.98-13.59, respectively), with the risk increasing when adjusted for prior CV history (HR: 1.47, 95 % CI: 1.06-3.42 and HR: 6.70, 95 % CI: 2.70-16.60, respectively). Risk of a ≥40 % decline in eGFR was greatest for the albuminuric DKD with decreased eGFR group (HR: 3.45, 95 % CI: 1.74-6.85), followed by the albuminuric DKD without decreased eGFR group (HR: 1.6, 95 % CI: 1.06-2.75). CONCLUSION: Thus, patients with albuminuric DKD and decreased eGFR were at greater risk for poor CV, renal, and mortality outcomes compared to other phenotypes.

Workplace policies and quality of working life (QoWL) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Jordanian hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Many healthcare organizations place a high value on quality of work-life (QoWL). The healthcare system's long-term sustainability and capability to offer high-quality services to patients depend on improving QoWL for their healthcare workers. OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to explore the impact of Jordanian hospitals' workplace policies and measures in three main domains: (I) Infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, (II) Supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), and (III) COVID-19 precautionary measures on the QoWL among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May to June 2021 through an online self-reported questionnaire (Google Form) targeting hospital healthcare professionals working at Jordanian hospitals (public, private, military, and university). The study used a valid work-related quality of life (WRQoL) scale to study the QoWL. RESULTS: A total of 484 HCWs in Jordanian hospitals participated in the study with a mean age of (34.8 ± 8.28 years). 57.6% of the respondents were females. 66.1% were married, with 61.6% having children at home. An average QoWL among healthcare workers in Jordanian hospitals during the pandemic was observed. The study results also showed a significant positive correlation between workplace policies (IPC measures, supply of PPE, and COVID-19 preventive measures) and the WRQoL among healthcare workers. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlighted the vital need for QoWL and psychological well-being support services for healthcare staff during pandemics. Improved IPC systems and other precautionary measures at the national and hospital management levels are required to help minimize the stress and fear that healthcare workers experience and lower the risk of COVID-19 and future pandemics.

Perceived barriers to effective use of telehealth in managing the care of patients with cardiovascular diseases: a qualitative study exploring healthcare professionals' views in Jordan.

BACKGROUND: The use of telehealth in the management of care and care delivery has been increasing significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telehealth is an emerging technology used to manage care for patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in Jordan. However, implementing this approach in Jordan faces many challenges that need to be explored to identify practical solutions. PURPOSE: To explore the perceived challenges and barriers to using telehealth in managing acute and chronic CVDs among healthcare professionals. METHODS: A qualitative, exploratory study was conducted by interviewing 24 health professionals at two hospitals in different clinical areas in Jordan. RESULTS: Several barriers were reported by participants that affected the utilization of telehealth services. The barriers were categorized into the following four themes: Drawbacks related to patients, Health providers' concerns, Procedural faults, and telehealth To complement the service only. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that telehealth can be instrumental in supporting care management for patients with CVD. It means that understanding the advantages and barriers to implementing telehealth by the healthcare providers in Jordan can improve many aspects of the healthcare services for patients with CVD within the healthcare settings in Jordan.

Exploring Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-Being in Recovered Jordanian Individuals With COVID-19: A Phenomenological Study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19-related healthcare services focus primarily on medical and physical treatments. Related treatments for psychosocial and mental health needs have not been a priority for healthcare professionals. Understanding the process by which individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 adapt psychologically will allow better planning for mental healthcare and healthcare outcomes. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore how recovered individuals with COVID-19 adapted to related psychological and social stressors during the infection period. METHODS: A descriptive phenomenological approach was used to investigate a purposive sample of 13 individuals in Jordan who had recovered from COVID-19. Data were collected using semistructured interviews. RESULTS: Perceptions related to being diagnosed with COVID-19 were distinguished into four major themes: conscious awareness (acceptance, victimization, and normalizing), uncertainty (apprehension and poor communication), sources of psychosocial support (caring family, healthcare professionals' support, and self-grieving), and resilience (optimism, positive thinking, and spirituality). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicate the need to integrate psychosocial and mental healthcare services into healthcare plans provided to individuals with COVID-19 and similar pandemic infections.

Assessing pharmacists and other healthcare providers' knowledge of hand sanitization during COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan: A comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Health care providers including pharmacists are often on the first line when dealing with COVID -19; they can be under threat of contracting and spreading the disease. We aimed to assess and compare their knowledge of hand sanitization during COVID-19 pandemic to improve quality of care. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Jordan, on healthcare providers in different settings from 27 October till 3 December 2020, using a pre-validated electronic questionnaire. Participants (n = 523) were healthcare providers practicing in different settings. Descriptive and association statistical analyses were produced on the data using SPSS 26. Chi square was used for the categorical variables, and One way ANOVA was used on the continuous and categorical variables. RESULTS: A significant difference was recorded in total knowledge mean according to gender (59.78 vs 61.79 p = 0.030) in favor of men, and between pharmacists and other healthcare providers in favor of the latter (59.22 vs 61.45, p = 0.02). No significant difference was generally noticed between those who attended hand hygiene training and those who did not. CONCLUSION: Healthcare providers' knowledge of hand hygiene was generally good among participants, regardless of training and it was possibly increased because of fear of COVID-19 infection. Physicians were the most knowledgeable in regard of hand hygiene while pharmacists were the least among healthcare providers. Thus, structured, more frequent, and tailored training on hand sanitization in addition to new educational strategies are recommended for healthcare providers, in particular, pharmacists for better quality of care especially in pandemics.

Impact of coronavirus 19 pandemic on contraception in Jordan.

The coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) pandemic has negatively impacted family planning services worldwide. There are no published reports from Jordan on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on family planning methods. This was a web-based cross-sectional study between September and December 2020 with 519 participants; of these 43.5% did not use any method. The most used methods were intrauterine devices, coitus interruptus and male condoms. Furthermore, 38.2% of women changed methods due to limited access to services and non-availability of methods. While 82.1% of women preferred modern methods before the pandemic, 79.7% became more acceptant of traditional methods. Moreover, 35.3% of women got pregnant during the curfew, and 90% were unplanned with a statistically significant higher rate in women who changed their routine method, accepted traditional methods, have been married for less than 10 years and multiparous women. National health policy makers should consider the impact of large-scale pandemics on family planning services.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Family planning services in Jordan have improved significantly over the last decade because of accessibility and availability of a wide range of contraceptive methods. Available methods are either traditional or modern. Because of the high failure rates of traditional methods, public health family planning programmes promote modern methods.What do the results of this study add? There are no published reports from Jordan on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and curfew on family planning methods. This study aims to report on what family planning methods women used during the pandemic, reporting if women changed their preferred methods and the reasons, assess women's knowledge about the natural methods of family planning which is probably an alternative method in situations where services and accessibility to more effective methods are limited and estimate unplanned pregnancies.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? National health policy makers should consider the impact of large-scale pandemics on family planning services. Additionally, the implementation of telehealth and home delivery of self-administered methods should be considered. Natural methods of contraception may be an option when access and availability to modern methods is limited.

Barriers related to COVID-19 testing intention.

OBJECTIVES: Although vaccination against the COVID-19 disease has recently become available, individuals are expressing fear and hesitancy towards receiving it. As a result, testing for COVID-19 is still considered a vital method to contain infection. For testing to be effective, barriers towards testing intention need to be investigated; and available literature on the challenges are scarce. This study aimed to investigate barriers of COVID-19 testing among a sample of Jordanian adults and predict testing intention within the context of these barriers. METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive, and predictive design was employed in this study among a sample of 1074 Jordanian adults. RESULTS: Three clusters of barriers predicted testing intention; perceived discrimination at work, concerns of individual's privacy, and having negative feelings towards testing. While perceived discrimination at work and privacy concerns were negatively associated with individuals' intention for testing, experiencing negative feelings towards COVID-19 testing was a positive predictor. CONCLUSION: Within the context of the study findings, public health nurses need to promote safety at the workplace, protect an individual's privacy, and eliminate negative feelings towards testing uptake through the provision of accurate and up-to-date information regarding the COVID-19 disease.

Dentists thoughts about COVID-19.

Data sources Self-developed survey.Data extraction and synthesis This was a cross-sectional study using a self-administered online survey.Results Out of 700 randomly selected dentists in Jordan, 368 completed an online survey. Of those, 36% reported that the incubation period for COVID-19 is 1-14 days. The majority were aware of the symptoms of the disease and can identify affected patients. Nonetheless, 36.7% of dentists did not believe it to be a serious public health issue.Conclusions This group of Jordanian dentists was generally aware of COVID-19 symptoms and mode of transmission. Clinical practice guidelines should be made available to dentists by their associations during such crises.

Prevalence of SARS-COV-2 and other respiratory pathogens among a Jordanian subpopulation during Delta-to-Omicron transition: Winter 2021/2022.

Acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) during the winter months are associated with higher morbidity and mortality compared to other seasons of the year, with children below five, elderly, and immunocompromised patients being the most susceptible. Influenza A and B viruses, rhinovirus, coronaviruses, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, and parainfluenza viruses, are the most frequently identified causes of viral ARTIs. In addition, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in 2019 provided an additional viral cause of ARTIs. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the epidemiological status of upper respiratory infections, their main causative agents, and reported clinical presentation in the winter months of 2021, during two important surges of COVID-19 in Jordan. Nasopharyngeal samples were collected from 339 symptomatic patients during the period from December 2021 to March 2022, followed by nucleic acid isolation using a Viral RNA/DNA extraction Kit. The causative virus species associated with the patient's respiratory symptoms was determined utilizing a multiplex real-time PCR targeting 21 viruses, 11 bacteria, and a single fungus. SARS-CoV-2 was identified in 39.2% of the patients (n = 133/339). A total of 15 different pathogens were also identified as co-infections among these 133 patients (n = 67/133). SARS-CoV-2-Bacterial coinfections (37.6%, n = 50/133) were the most frequent, with Bordetella species being the most common, followed by Staphylococcus aureus, and H.influenzae type B. Viral coinfection rate was 27.8% (n = 37/133), with Influenza B virus and Human bocavirus being the most common. In Conclusion, Both SARS-CoV-2, influenza B virus, and Bordetella accounted for the majority of infections in patients with URTI during the winter months of 2021-2022. Interestingly, more than 50% of the patients with symptoms of URTIs were confirmed to have a coinfection with two or more respiratory pathogens, with SARS-CoV-2 and Bordetella coinfection being most predominant.

A risk-based decision framework for policy analysis of societal pandemic effects.

Introduction: In this article, we summarize our findings from an EU-supported project for policy analyses applied to pandemics such as Covid-19 (with the potential to be applied as well to other, similar hazards) while considering various mitigation levels and consequence sets under several criteria. Methods: It is based on our former development for handling imprecise information in risk trees and multi-criteria hierarchies using intervals and qualitative estimates. We shortly present the theoretical background and demonstrate how it can be used for systematic policy analyses. In our model, we use decision trees and multi-criteria hierarchies extended by belief distributions for weights, probabilities and values as well as combination rules to aggregate the background information in an extended expected value model, taking into criteria weights as well as probabilities and outcome values. We used the computer-supported tool DecideIT for the aggregate decision analysis under uncertainty. Results: The framework has been applied in three countries: Botswana, Romania and Jordan, and extended for scenario-building during the third wave of the pandemic in Sweden, proving its feasibility in real-time policy-making for pandemic mitigation measures. Discussion: This work resulted in a more fine-grained model for policy decision that is much more aligned to the societal needs in the future, either if the Covid-19 pandemic prevails or for the next pandemic or other society-wide hazardous emergencies.

The relationship between maternal health and neonatal low birth weight in Amman, Jordan: a case-control study.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between maternal health during pregnancy and low birth weight (LBW), as well as the impact of COVID-19 on the socio-economic status of pregnant women and its effect on LBW. The study was conducted in Amman, Jordan, and included 2260 mothers who visited Abu-Nusair comprehensive health center between January and December 2020. A matched case-control design was used with 72 cases and 148 controls selected for data collection through medical records and face-to-face interviews. Results showed that factors such as a monthly income of 400 JD or less, living with an extended family, exposure to passive smoking, maternal weight gain of 6-10 kg, maternal anemia, maternal hypertension, delivery by cesarean section, and previous history of LBW newborns were positively associated with an increased risk of LBW. Conversely, factors such as a monthly income above 700 JD, living with a core family, daily intake of iron, calcium, and vitamin D, prenatal visits, healthy food intake, and planning for pregnancy were associated with a lower risk of LBW. COVID-19 infection and its effects on work, family finances, antenatal care visits, and food supply were also positively linked with LBW. In conclusion, socioeconomic status, maternal health, COVID-19, and its impacts were significant risk factors for LBW.

Jordanian nursing students' engagement and satisfaction with e-learning during COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Nursing education was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as most institutions shifted to e-learning. The aim of the current study was to examine students' engagement and satisfaction levels with e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A descriptive correlation design was used to guide this study. A voluntary response sampling method was used to recruit undergraduate nursing programs in Jordan. Data were collected using an electronic link to a self-reported questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 1,562 undergraduate nursing students responded to the questionnaire. The study showed that most students have high engagement in the emotional, skills, and performance subscales and low engagement in the participation subscale. Further, they were moderately satisfied with e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Students identified several issues regarding their e-learning, which must be considered to improve their engagement and satisfaction. Further, the study revealed several shortcomings in preparing students to attend e-learning classes.

Pregnant Women's experiences with intimate partner violence one year after the COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan.

AIM: To assess the prevalence and compare the levels of intimate partner violence (IPV) before and during the pandemic and to identify the factors that associated with physical IPV among Jordanian pregnant women. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, correlational design. Women were asked to report their experience with IPV twice: during and before the pandemic. METHODS: A convenience sampling technique was used to select pregnant women from National Woman's Health Care Center from 15 April to 1 September 2021. The Domestic Violence Questionnaire Screening Tool (DVQST) was used to assess the levels of IPV. RESULTS: The women (n = 232) who participated in the study experienced considerable levels of IPV before (69% control IPV, 59.90% psychological, 46.10% physical, 43.10% sexual) and during (75.90% control IPV, 64.20% psychological, 46.10% physical, 40.90% sexual) the pandemic. There were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) higher mean DVQST scores for control IPV and psychological IPV during the pandemic (control IPV mean = 9.78, psychological mean = 7.03) versus before the pandemic (control IPV mean = 8.95, psychological mean = 6.62). Woman's educational level, marriage duration, woman's employment status, and level of mutual understanding were inversely associated with physical IPV during the pandemic. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: IPV is a global public health problem and a major violation of human rights. The levels of control IPV and psychological IPV increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the levels of physical and sexual IPV stayed the same. Antenatal screening for IPV is crucial to save women and their offspring from suffering this type of violence.

Predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Jordanian older adults.

AIMS: We examined the predictive factors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Jordanian older adults. BACKGROUND: Vaccine hesitancy among older adults is influenced by several factors. DESIGN: This study employed a cross-sectional design. METHODS: Online surveys were conducted between November 2021 and April 2022. The surveys included socio-demographic variables, COVID-19 vaccine-related information, the Vaccine Attitude Examination Scale and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. RESULTS: Participants were 350 older adults (aged 68.1 ± 7.21 years; 62.9% females). Linear regression analyses were performed to assess the impact of correlated variables on the explanation of anti-vaccination attitudes. Participants reported a moderate level of fear of COVID-19 and a moderate level of hesitancy towards receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The linear regression model revealed that several chronic illnesses, fear of COVID-19 and number of family incidences of COVID-19 explained vaccine hesitancy. CONCLUSIONS: Raising awareness among older adults about the desired effect of the COVID-19 vaccine in terms of minimizing hospitalization, disease consequences and mortality rate is required. Well-tailored interventions are essential to reduce vaccine hesitancy among older adults and reinforce the importance of receiving the vaccine for those with multi-morbidities.

Assessment of Hospital Readiness to Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic in Jordan-A Cross Sectional Study.

During the global COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals faced tremendous pressure to cope with the emergency preparedness situations needed to cater for the influx of patients while maintaining their essential services. This study aimed to assess the level of readiness of hospitals in Jordan to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic using the WHO hospital readiness checklist. A cross-sectional survey using the modified and validated checklist was conducted in Jordan between 15 May and 15 June 2021. The checklist entailed ten key response functions with a total of 60 activities. Data from 22 hospitals were collected through a structured survey process by two surveyors for each hospital. The overall readiness score of hospitals was 1.77 ± 0.20, with a lower overall score in the northern region (1.65 ± 0.24) than the middle (1.86 ± 0.07) or southern (1.84 ± 0.14) regions. The diagnosis response function scored highest (1.95); but despite efforts, contingency plan development was not met by most hospitals, with a total score ≤ 1.45. Provision of psychological support and occupational health support to ensure the wellbeing of staff scored below average. Outcomes from this survey exposed gaps while offering a framework for upcoming endeavors to improve hospital readiness for any potential pandemic.