What Went Wrong with the IMMUNI Contact-Tracing App in Italy? A Cross-Sectional Survey on the Attitudes and Experiences among Healthcare University Students
The adoption of digital contact-tracing apps to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 has been sup-optimal, but studies that clearly identify factors associated with the app uptake are still limited. In April 2021, we administered a questionnaire to healthcare university students to investigate their attit...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Life |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/6/871 |
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| author | Claudia Isonne Maria Roberta De Blasiis Federica Turatto Elena Mazzalai Carolina Marzuillo Corrado De Vito Paolo Villari Valentina Baccolini |
| author_facet | Claudia Isonne Maria Roberta De Blasiis Federica Turatto Elena Mazzalai Carolina Marzuillo Corrado De Vito Paolo Villari Valentina Baccolini |
| author_sort | Claudia Isonne |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The adoption of digital contact-tracing apps to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 has been sup-optimal, but studies that clearly identify factors associated with the app uptake are still limited. In April 2021, we administered a questionnaire to healthcare university students to investigate their attitudes towards and experiences of the IMMUNI app. A multivariable logistic regression model was built to identify app download predictors. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. We surveyed 247 students. Most respondents (65.6%) had not downloaded IMMUNI, reporting as the main reason the perceived app uselessness (32.7%). In the multivariable analysis, being advised to use the app (aOR: 3.21, 95%CI: 1.80–5.73), greater fear of infecting others (aOR: 1.50, 95%CI: 1.01–2.23), and greater trust in the institutional response to the emergency (aOR: 1.33, 95%CI: 1.00–1.76) were positively associated with the outcome, whereas greater belief in the “lab-leak theory” of COVID-19 was a negative predictor (aOR: 0.75, 95%CI: 0.60–0.93). Major technical issues were reported by app users. Targeted strategies aimed at improving awareness of digital health applications should be devised. Furthermore, institutions should invest in the development of these technologies, to minimize technical issues and make them accessible to the entire population. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:15:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4cc3c6b442cb4c4fa78bc886626b1d95 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:15:28Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj.art-4cc3c6b442cb4c4fa78bc886626b1d952023-11-23T17:36:53ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292022-06-0112687110.3390/life12060871What Went Wrong with the IMMUNI Contact-Tracing App in Italy? A Cross-Sectional Survey on the Attitudes and Experiences among Healthcare University StudentsClaudia Isonne0Maria Roberta De Blasiis1Federica Turatto2Elena Mazzalai3Carolina Marzuillo4Corrado De Vito5Paolo Villari6Valentina Baccolini7Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyThe adoption of digital contact-tracing apps to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 has been sup-optimal, but studies that clearly identify factors associated with the app uptake are still limited. In April 2021, we administered a questionnaire to healthcare university students to investigate their attitudes towards and experiences of the IMMUNI app. A multivariable logistic regression model was built to identify app download predictors. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. We surveyed 247 students. Most respondents (65.6%) had not downloaded IMMUNI, reporting as the main reason the perceived app uselessness (32.7%). In the multivariable analysis, being advised to use the app (aOR: 3.21, 95%CI: 1.80–5.73), greater fear of infecting others (aOR: 1.50, 95%CI: 1.01–2.23), and greater trust in the institutional response to the emergency (aOR: 1.33, 95%CI: 1.00–1.76) were positively associated with the outcome, whereas greater belief in the “lab-leak theory” of COVID-19 was a negative predictor (aOR: 0.75, 95%CI: 0.60–0.93). Major technical issues were reported by app users. Targeted strategies aimed at improving awareness of digital health applications should be devised. Furthermore, institutions should invest in the development of these technologies, to minimize technical issues and make them accessible to the entire population.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/6/871digital contact tracingIMMUNI appCOVID-19students |
| spellingShingle | Claudia Isonne Maria Roberta De Blasiis Federica Turatto Elena Mazzalai Carolina Marzuillo Corrado De Vito Paolo Villari Valentina Baccolini What Went Wrong with the IMMUNI Contact-Tracing App in Italy? A Cross-Sectional Survey on the Attitudes and Experiences among Healthcare University Students Life digital contact tracing IMMUNI app COVID-19 students |
| title | What Went Wrong with the IMMUNI Contact-Tracing App in Italy? A Cross-Sectional Survey on the Attitudes and Experiences among Healthcare University Students |
| title_full | What Went Wrong with the IMMUNI Contact-Tracing App in Italy? A Cross-Sectional Survey on the Attitudes and Experiences among Healthcare University Students |
| title_fullStr | What Went Wrong with the IMMUNI Contact-Tracing App in Italy? A Cross-Sectional Survey on the Attitudes and Experiences among Healthcare University Students |
| title_full_unstemmed | What Went Wrong with the IMMUNI Contact-Tracing App in Italy? A Cross-Sectional Survey on the Attitudes and Experiences among Healthcare University Students |
| title_short | What Went Wrong with the IMMUNI Contact-Tracing App in Italy? A Cross-Sectional Survey on the Attitudes and Experiences among Healthcare University Students |
| title_sort | what went wrong with the immuni contact tracing app in italy a cross sectional survey on the attitudes and experiences among healthcare university students |
| topic | digital contact tracing IMMUNI app COVID-19 students |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/12/6/871 |
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