ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Pregnant and breastfeeding women comprise a high-risk group for the development of severe COVID-19. Therefore, vaccination is highly recommended for perinatal women; however, vaccination levels for this group remain inadequate. This study explores the percentage of COVID-19 vaccination among Saudi pregnant and lactating women, as well as their attitudes toward it. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey on a sample of Saudi pregnant and breastfeeding women. The study included pregnant and lactating women. RESULTS: The percentage of COVID-19 vaccine uptake was 78.2%. A total of 45 (21.8%) out of 206 women did not receive the vaccine. The overall vaccine hesitancy was 21.8%. Breastfeeding women were 2.86 more likely not to receive the vaccine as compared to pregnant women. Being a mother of over five children increased the vaccine uptake among our participating women (n = 20, 90%; p < 0.01). The majority of the subjects had taken the Pfizer vaccine (81.98%, 132/161). The availability of the COVID-19 vaccine was the most common factor for choosing a particular vaccine. Protection from infection (60.2%, 97/161) was reported as the main driver for vaccine uptake. The most common reason perceived for delaying COVID-19 vaccination was being worried about the side effects (176, 85.44%) on one's own body and the effects on the unborn child (130, 63.1%). CONCLUSION: We uncovered high levels of hesitancy, primarily induced by concerns about adverse effects and social media-related misinformation. These high levels of vaccine uptake are likely due to the large-scale obligatory vaccination program provided in Saudi Arabia, which was well-structured and far reaching. Our results provide further support for the so-called "protection motivation theory" in boosting vaccine acceptance. Counseling and educating pregnant and breastfeeding women about COVID-19 vaccination is the need of the hour.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global public health problem. Global prevalence of diabetes is 8.5% in adult population. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) is increasing day by day, the number of persons with diabetes will double by 2030. It is a serious cause of irreversible blindness and is the most common complication of diabetes. Annual fundus examination for diabetics aids in the prevention of blindness and allows intervening at a timely manner. This study's intent to estimate and improve level of awareness (A), knowledge (K), and practice (P) among all King Khalid University (KKU) students besides medical students in Abha, Saudi Arabia. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This is a cross-sectional survey that targets all KKU students besides medical students in Abha, Saudi Arabia. The researchers will use closed-end questions for awareness (A), knowledge (K), and practice (P). The data and the questionnaires will be sent to the sample by social media. The data will be analyzed by statistical package for the social sciences program (SPSS). RESULTS: A total of 635 KKU students completed the questionnaire. Female students were more than male students, 334 (52.6%) for females and 301 (47.4%) for males, respectively. Ages ranged from 18 to 24 years with a mean 23 ± 2 years. There was a good awareness for some of the factors related to the DR which is noted in the results. Awareness of smoking and pregnancy rate is extremely low compared to the rest of the factors related to the DR. CONCLUSION: There was high awareness regarding DR and its risk factors among KKU students but low awareness regarding smoking and pregnancy relationship with DR. Improvement is required for smoking and pregnancy with the progression DR.
