Public knowledge and attitude towards COVID-19 vaccines, implementation of preventive measures following vaccination, and perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study in Jordan
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Amin N Olaimat 1 * , Tareq Osaili 2 3 , Hayder Hasan 2 , Veena Raigangar 4 , Maysaa Waddah Alwadi 5 , Noorieh Emad Neinavaei 6 , Murad A Al-Holy 1 , Ma’mon M Hatmal 7 , Mahmoud Abughoush 1 8 , Anas A Al-Nabulsi 3 , Khalid Mubarak Bindayna 9 , Leila Cheikh Ismail 2 10 , Tamadur M Olaimat 11 , Mutamed Ayyash 12 , Richard A Holley 13
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1 Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, JORDAN2 Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE3 Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, JORDAN4 School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Brighton, Eastbourne, UK5 Department of Basic Sciences, Ma’an University College, Al-Balqa Applied University, As-Salt, JORDAN6 Department of Physiotherapy, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE7 Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, The Hashemite University, Zarqa, JORDAN8 Science of Nutrition and Dietetics Program, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, UAE9 Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Disease, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, BAHRAIN10 Nuffield Department of Women’s & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK11 Faculty of Pharmacy, Zarqa University, Zarqa, JORDAN12 Department of Food Science, College of Food and Agriculture, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAE13 Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, CANADA* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Introduction: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by a relatively new coronavirus strain known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which has become a significant worldwide health concern. The hesitancy of people to accept vaccination or implement the preventive measures following vaccination can be considered a serious issue that increases the spread of COVID-19. The objectives of the current study were to assess the knowledge and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination and the adoption of preventive measures following vaccination among the general population in Jordan and to compare the perceived stresses between the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups.
Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults above the age of 18 years in Jordan during the period June-October 2021. The survey has six sections: (1) socio-demographic characteristics, (2) vaccination status, (3) knowledge of participants about COVID-19 vaccination, (4) attitude of participants about COVID-19 vaccination, (5) implementation of preventive practices among participants following COVID-19 vaccination, and (6) perceived stress toward COVID-19 among vaccinated and unvaccinated participants.
Results: 605 respondents (69.8% female and 30.2% male) aged between 30-49 years completed the questionnaire. More than half were married and 40.5% received one (29.8%) or two doses (10.7%) of a vaccine. Generally, they showed a positive attitude toward COVID-19 vaccination with a value of 12.7 out of 19. Most of them (>85%) showed proactive practices following vaccination by implementing some preventive measures such as implementing social distancing, avoiding crowded places, and shaking hands. The average perceived stress scale of the general population in Jordan was moderate with a value of 21.5 out of 40. However, fully or partially vaccinated individuals had a significantly (p=0.03) lower PSS (20.97) than unvaccinated people (21.87).
Conclusion: The respondents have a good knowledge and positive attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination with good practices following vaccination. However, unvaccinated individuals were more likely to be stressed than vaccinated people. This study may assist policymakers to enhance the extent of COVID-19 vaccination and reduce the spread of this infection.

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Original Article

ELECTRON J GEN MED, Volume 19, Issue 6, December 2022, Article No: em421

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejgm/12575

Publication date: 26 Oct 2022

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