Do Degree Programs Affect Health Profession Students' Attitudes and Opinions Toward Vaccinations? An Italian Multicenter Study
Background: Healthcare workers' attitudes toward vaccination have been widely described in the literature, but a restricted amount of studies assessed healthcare students' knowledge, attitudes, and opinions on this issue. This study aimed to estimate the influence of a degree course on kno...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Safety and Health at Work |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791121000846 |
| _version_ | 1797722909811146752 |
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| author | Gianluca Voglino Andrea Barbara Giulia Dallagiacoma Omar Enzo Santangelo Sandro Provenzano Vincenza Gianfredi |
| author_facet | Gianluca Voglino Andrea Barbara Giulia Dallagiacoma Omar Enzo Santangelo Sandro Provenzano Vincenza Gianfredi |
| author_sort | Gianluca Voglino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Healthcare workers' attitudes toward vaccination have been widely described in the literature, but a restricted amount of studies assessed healthcare students' knowledge, attitudes, and opinions on this issue. This study aimed to estimate the influence of a degree course on knowledge and immunization behavior among healthcare students and to compare medical students with students from other health profession degree programs to identify possible differences. Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was performed in 2018 in 14 Italian Universities (3,131 students were interviewed). A validated questionnaire was used to assess knowledge, attitudes, and opinions toward vaccinations, with a specific focus on influenza vaccine and attitudes toward mandatory vaccination policies. Statistical software STATA® 14 was used. Results: Significant differences were recorded between medical students and other healthcare students. The intention to get vaccinated against influenza during the next season and having been vaccinated in the previous season was higher in the medical group (p < 0.001). In the group of students of other health professions, we registered a lower probability of identifying themselves as a high-risk group for contracting infectious diseases as a consequence of their profession and health status (aOR 0.49; CI95%: 0.40–0.60) and an increased likelihood of defining their level of knowledge on vaccine-preventable diseases and related vaccinations as “insufficient/sufficient/fair” (aOR 1.31; CI95%: 1.11–1.56). Conclusions: Results show several differences between medical students and students of other health professions when it comes to vaccination knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions, as well as a general low tendency to be vaccinated against influenza. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T09:55:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-765f4e3b7e7f44eb85b4c969a61a1b01 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2093-7911 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T09:55:31Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Safety and Health at Work |
| spelling | doaj.art-765f4e3b7e7f44eb85b4c969a61a1b012023-09-02T12:16:13ZengElsevierSafety and Health at Work2093-79112022-03-011315965Do Degree Programs Affect Health Profession Students' Attitudes and Opinions Toward Vaccinations? An Italian Multicenter StudyGianluca Voglino0Andrea Barbara1Giulia Dallagiacoma2Omar Enzo Santangelo3Sandro Provenzano4Vincenza Gianfredi5Department of Public Health, University of Turin, Turin, ItalySection of Hygiene – Institute of Public Health, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Roma, Italy; Corresponding author. Section of Hygiene – Institute of Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito, 1 00168 Roma, Italy.Post-Graduate School of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, Department of Public Health, Experimental and Forensic Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, ItalyDepartment of Health Promotion, Maternal-Infant, Internal Medicine and Specialization of Excellence “G. D'Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Health Promotion, Maternal-Infant, Internal Medicine and Specialization of Excellence “G. D'Alessandro”, University of Palermo, Palermo, ItalyPost-Graduate School of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, ItalyBackground: Healthcare workers' attitudes toward vaccination have been widely described in the literature, but a restricted amount of studies assessed healthcare students' knowledge, attitudes, and opinions on this issue. This study aimed to estimate the influence of a degree course on knowledge and immunization behavior among healthcare students and to compare medical students with students from other health profession degree programs to identify possible differences. Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was performed in 2018 in 14 Italian Universities (3,131 students were interviewed). A validated questionnaire was used to assess knowledge, attitudes, and opinions toward vaccinations, with a specific focus on influenza vaccine and attitudes toward mandatory vaccination policies. Statistical software STATA® 14 was used. Results: Significant differences were recorded between medical students and other healthcare students. The intention to get vaccinated against influenza during the next season and having been vaccinated in the previous season was higher in the medical group (p < 0.001). In the group of students of other health professions, we registered a lower probability of identifying themselves as a high-risk group for contracting infectious diseases as a consequence of their profession and health status (aOR 0.49; CI95%: 0.40–0.60) and an increased likelihood of defining their level of knowledge on vaccine-preventable diseases and related vaccinations as “insufficient/sufficient/fair” (aOR 1.31; CI95%: 1.11–1.56). Conclusions: Results show several differences between medical students and students of other health professions when it comes to vaccination knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions, as well as a general low tendency to be vaccinated against influenza.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791121000846AttitudesCross-sectional studyHealth profession studentsItalyVaccination |
| spellingShingle | Gianluca Voglino Andrea Barbara Giulia Dallagiacoma Omar Enzo Santangelo Sandro Provenzano Vincenza Gianfredi Do Degree Programs Affect Health Profession Students' Attitudes and Opinions Toward Vaccinations? An Italian Multicenter Study Safety and Health at Work Attitudes Cross-sectional study Health profession students Italy Vaccination |
| title | Do Degree Programs Affect Health Profession Students' Attitudes and Opinions Toward Vaccinations? An Italian Multicenter Study |
| title_full | Do Degree Programs Affect Health Profession Students' Attitudes and Opinions Toward Vaccinations? An Italian Multicenter Study |
| title_fullStr | Do Degree Programs Affect Health Profession Students' Attitudes and Opinions Toward Vaccinations? An Italian Multicenter Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Do Degree Programs Affect Health Profession Students' Attitudes and Opinions Toward Vaccinations? An Italian Multicenter Study |
| title_short | Do Degree Programs Affect Health Profession Students' Attitudes and Opinions Toward Vaccinations? An Italian Multicenter Study |
| title_sort | do degree programs affect health profession students attitudes and opinions toward vaccinations an italian multicenter study |
| topic | Attitudes Cross-sectional study Health profession students Italy Vaccination |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791121000846 |
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