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: Glaucoma is a disease that results in a painless elevation of intro ulster pressure (IOP), which can lead to progressive optic nerve damage and visual field loss. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), glaucoma is the second leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. It is certain that understanding the disease and knowing the people most susceptible, such as those with chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension may help treat the condition and check it regularly to avoid irreversible blindness. Materials and Methods: This study was done to measure the extent of people's awareness and knowledge about glaucoma. The study was cross sectional and used a questionnaire to find about the awareness of glaucoma among the residents of Abha. The sample size was 1563. It was conducted within 2 months of taking ethical approval and informed consent. Data was analyzed by statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) program, version 22. Results: The study results showed that around 77.1% of the respondents had heard about glaucoma. Of the 1563 participants, the majority were women and they constituted 81.0%. Nearly 88.3% replied that glaucoma may lead to blindness and 86.9% agreed that early screening helps avoid the complications of glaucoma. Although just 5.4% did glaucoma screening, 43.0% concurred that this blindness can be treated. Conclusion: Current research evaluated the awareness and knowledge of glaucoma among the residents of Aseer. Good awareness level regarding glaucoma was found among 725 respondents (46.4%) and 53.6% had poor awareness.
