Changes in Students’ Perceptions Regarding Adolescent Vaccinations through a Before–After Study Conducted during the COVID-19 Pandemic: GIRASOLE Project Study
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a reduction in vaccination coverage for all age groups, especially in non-infant age. The main objective of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an online intervention conducted among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in increasing knowledge and p...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-09-01
|
| Series: | Vaccines |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/11/10/1524 |
| _version_ | 1811153778151260160 |
|---|---|
| author | Vincenzo Restivo Alessandra Bruno Giuseppa Minutolo Alessia Pieri Luca Riggio Maurizio Zarcone Stefania Candiloro Rosalia Caldarella Palmira Immordino Emanuele Amodio Alessandra Casuccio |
| author_facet | Vincenzo Restivo Alessandra Bruno Giuseppa Minutolo Alessia Pieri Luca Riggio Maurizio Zarcone Stefania Candiloro Rosalia Caldarella Palmira Immordino Emanuele Amodio Alessandra Casuccio |
| author_sort | Vincenzo Restivo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic caused a reduction in vaccination coverage for all age groups, especially in non-infant age. The main objective of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an online intervention conducted among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in increasing knowledge and positive attitudes toward vaccinations. The study, which took place online from March to May 2021, involved 267 students from six lower secondary schools in Palermo city (Italy); they filled out the questionnaire before and after the intervention. The questionnaire was based on the protection motivation theory (PMT), which estimates the improvement in vaccination-related knowledge and attitudes. The pre- and post-intervention comparison showed a significant increase in the perception of the disease severity: strongly agree pre-intervention <i>n</i> = 150 (58.6%) and post-intervention <i>n</i> = 173 (67.6%, <i>p</i> < 0.001), rated on a five-point Likert scale. In a multivariate analysis, the factor associated with the improvement in the score after the intervention was the school dropout index (low vs. very high dropout index OR 4.5; <i>p</i> < 0.03). The educational intervention was more effective in schools with lower early school leaving rates, an indirect index of socio-economic status. The topic of vaccination has caught the adolescents’ attention, it is, therefore, important that interventions tackling teenagers are tailored to reduce their emotional tension about the perception of adverse effects and improve vaccination coverage. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:49:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5d514a9a2dd642c686564dd629c8df25 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-393X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:49:53Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vaccines |
| spelling | doaj.art-5d514a9a2dd642c686564dd629c8df252023-11-19T18:23:57ZengMDPI AGVaccines2076-393X2023-09-011110152410.3390/vaccines11101524Changes in Students’ Perceptions Regarding Adolescent Vaccinations through a Before–After Study Conducted during the COVID-19 Pandemic: GIRASOLE Project StudyVincenzo Restivo0Alessandra Bruno1Giuseppa Minutolo2Alessia Pieri3Luca Riggio4Maurizio Zarcone5Stefania Candiloro6Rosalia Caldarella7Palmira Immordino8Emanuele Amodio9Alessandra Casuccio10Department of Health Promotion, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE) “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Health Promotion, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE) “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Health Promotion, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE) “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, ItalyClinical Epidemiology and Cancer Registry Unit, University Hospital “P. Giaccone”, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Health Promotion, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE) “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, ItalyClinical Epidemiology and Cancer Registry Unit, University Hospital “P. Giaccone”, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Health Promotion, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE) “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, ItalyClinical Epidemiology and Cancer Registry Unit, University Hospital “P. Giaccone”, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Health Promotion, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE) “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Health Promotion, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE) “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Health Promotion, Maternal and Infant Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE) “G. D’Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 133, 90127 Palermo, ItalyThe COVID-19 pandemic caused a reduction in vaccination coverage for all age groups, especially in non-infant age. The main objective of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an online intervention conducted among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in increasing knowledge and positive attitudes toward vaccinations. The study, which took place online from March to May 2021, involved 267 students from six lower secondary schools in Palermo city (Italy); they filled out the questionnaire before and after the intervention. The questionnaire was based on the protection motivation theory (PMT), which estimates the improvement in vaccination-related knowledge and attitudes. The pre- and post-intervention comparison showed a significant increase in the perception of the disease severity: strongly agree pre-intervention <i>n</i> = 150 (58.6%) and post-intervention <i>n</i> = 173 (67.6%, <i>p</i> < 0.001), rated on a five-point Likert scale. In a multivariate analysis, the factor associated with the improvement in the score after the intervention was the school dropout index (low vs. very high dropout index OR 4.5; <i>p</i> < 0.03). The educational intervention was more effective in schools with lower early school leaving rates, an indirect index of socio-economic status. The topic of vaccination has caught the adolescents’ attention, it is, therefore, important that interventions tackling teenagers are tailored to reduce their emotional tension about the perception of adverse effects and improve vaccination coverage.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/11/10/1524protection motivation theoryvaccination knowledgevaccineadolescentsinterventionsocio-economic level |
| spellingShingle | Vincenzo Restivo Alessandra Bruno Giuseppa Minutolo Alessia Pieri Luca Riggio Maurizio Zarcone Stefania Candiloro Rosalia Caldarella Palmira Immordino Emanuele Amodio Alessandra Casuccio Changes in Students’ Perceptions Regarding Adolescent Vaccinations through a Before–After Study Conducted during the COVID-19 Pandemic: GIRASOLE Project Study Vaccines protection motivation theory vaccination knowledge vaccine adolescents intervention socio-economic level |
| title | Changes in Students’ Perceptions Regarding Adolescent Vaccinations through a Before–After Study Conducted during the COVID-19 Pandemic: GIRASOLE Project Study |
| title_full | Changes in Students’ Perceptions Regarding Adolescent Vaccinations through a Before–After Study Conducted during the COVID-19 Pandemic: GIRASOLE Project Study |
| title_fullStr | Changes in Students’ Perceptions Regarding Adolescent Vaccinations through a Before–After Study Conducted during the COVID-19 Pandemic: GIRASOLE Project Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changes in Students’ Perceptions Regarding Adolescent Vaccinations through a Before–After Study Conducted during the COVID-19 Pandemic: GIRASOLE Project Study |
| title_short | Changes in Students’ Perceptions Regarding Adolescent Vaccinations through a Before–After Study Conducted during the COVID-19 Pandemic: GIRASOLE Project Study |
| title_sort | changes in students perceptions regarding adolescent vaccinations through a before after study conducted during the covid 19 pandemic girasole project study |
| topic | protection motivation theory vaccination knowledge vaccine adolescents intervention socio-economic level |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/11/10/1524 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vincenzorestivo changesinstudentsperceptionsregardingadolescentvaccinationsthroughabeforeafterstudyconductedduringthecovid19pandemicgirasoleprojectstudy AT alessandrabruno changesinstudentsperceptionsregardingadolescentvaccinationsthroughabeforeafterstudyconductedduringthecovid19pandemicgirasoleprojectstudy AT giuseppaminutolo changesinstudentsperceptionsregardingadolescentvaccinationsthroughabeforeafterstudyconductedduringthecovid19pandemicgirasoleprojectstudy AT alessiapieri changesinstudentsperceptionsregardingadolescentvaccinationsthroughabeforeafterstudyconductedduringthecovid19pandemicgirasoleprojectstudy AT lucariggio changesinstudentsperceptionsregardingadolescentvaccinationsthroughabeforeafterstudyconductedduringthecovid19pandemicgirasoleprojectstudy AT mauriziozarcone changesinstudentsperceptionsregardingadolescentvaccinationsthroughabeforeafterstudyconductedduringthecovid19pandemicgirasoleprojectstudy AT stefaniacandiloro changesinstudentsperceptionsregardingadolescentvaccinationsthroughabeforeafterstudyconductedduringthecovid19pandemicgirasoleprojectstudy AT rosaliacaldarella changesinstudentsperceptionsregardingadolescentvaccinationsthroughabeforeafterstudyconductedduringthecovid19pandemicgirasoleprojectstudy AT palmiraimmordino changesinstudentsperceptionsregardingadolescentvaccinationsthroughabeforeafterstudyconductedduringthecovid19pandemicgirasoleprojectstudy AT emanueleamodio changesinstudentsperceptionsregardingadolescentvaccinationsthroughabeforeafterstudyconductedduringthecovid19pandemicgirasoleprojectstudy AT alessandracasuccio changesinstudentsperceptionsregardingadolescentvaccinationsthroughabeforeafterstudyconductedduringthecovid19pandemicgirasoleprojectstudy |