Attitudes toward COVID-19 disease and vaccination in Hungary: A comparison of nurses and health workers against non-health workers
-
Annamária Pakai
,
Amira Mohammed Ali
,
Mohammed ALBashtawy
,
Miklós Zrínyi
,
Ilona Karácsony
,
Ibrahim Ayasreh
,
Rana Abdelfattah Al Awamleh
,
Haitham Khatatbeh
Abstract
Background & Aim: Hungary started to administer several COVID-19 vaccines; however, attitudes toward COVID-19 and vaccination are still poorly understood. This study aimed to explore how the attitudes toward COVID-19 disease are associated with the attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination in Hungary and compare the attitudes of health and non-health workers toward COVID-19 disease and vaccination in Hungary.
Methods & Materials: Using a descriptive, cross-sectional design, we recruited a sample of 1820 persons through an electronic survey. In addition to the sociodemographic questions, the attitudes towards COVID-19 disease and vaccination were assessed through self-developed, literature-based questionnaires. Principal component analysis, Spearman's correlation, linear regression, and the Mann-Whitney test were used in the data analysis.
Results: The mean age for the study participants (n=1735) was 43.8 ± 6.2 years, and females were the majority (84.6%). Overall, participants showed good attitudes toward COVID-19 disease (mean score= 3.48, SD= 0.43) as compared to their attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination (Mean score= 2.67, SD= 0.44). A positive correlation was found between the attitudes toward COVID-19 disease and attitudes toward vaccination in Hungary (r= 0.247, p< 0.01). Nurses and other health workers showed more positive attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination than non-health workers.
Conclusion: Hungarian decision-makers should intervene to improve the public's willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or future pandemics. Health workers' knowledge and positive attitudes should be utilized in the media to encourage the general population to be vaccinated. The suggested questionnaires need to be validated for future pandemics' use.
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14. MacDonald NE. Vaccine hesitancy: Definition, scope and determinants. Vaccine. 2015 Aug 14;33(34):4161-4.
15. Neumann-Böhme S, Varghese NE, Sabat I, Barros PP, Brouwer W, van Exel J, Schreyögg J, Stargardt T. Once we have it, will we use it? A European survey on willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The European Journal of Health Economics. 2020 Sep;21:977-82.
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18. Khatatbeh M, Al-Maqableh HO, Albalas S, Al Ajlouni S, A'aqoulah A, Khatatbeh H, Kasasbeh MA, Khatatbeh I, Albalas R, Al-Tammemi AA. Attitudes and commitment toward precautionary measures against COVID-19 amongst the Jordanian population: A large-scale cross-sectional survey. Frontiers in Public Health. 2021 8 November;9:745149.
19. Fusz K, Kívés Z, Pakai A, Kutfej N, Deák A, Oláh A. Health behavior, sleep quality and subjective health status among Hungarian nurses working varying shifts. Work. 2021 Jan 1;68(1):171-80.
20. Fusz K, Pakai A, Kívés Z, Szunomár S, Regős A, Oláh A. Work schedules in the Hungarian health care system and the sleep quality of nurses. Orvosi Hetilap. 2016 Mar 1;157(10):379-84.
21. Khatatbeh M, Alhalaiqa F, Khasawneh A, Al-Tammemi AA, Khatatbeh H, Alhassoun S, Al Omari O. The experiences of nurses and physicians caring for COVID-19 patients: findings from an exploratory phenomenological study in a high case-load country. International journal of environmental Research and Public Health. 2021 Aug 26;18(17):9002.
22. Von Elm E, Altman DG, Egger M, Pocock SJ, Gøtzsche PC, Vandenbroucke JP, Strobe Initiative. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. International Journal of Surgery. 2014 Dec 1;12(12):1495-9.
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25. Wang MW, Wen W, Wang N, Zhou MY, Wang CY, Ni J, Jiang JJ, Zhang XW, Feng ZH, Cheng YR. COVID-19 vaccination acceptance among healthcare workers and non-healthcare workers in China: A survey. Frontiers in Public Health. 2021 2 August;9:709056.
26. Al-Hanawi MK, Angawi K, Alshareef N, Qattan AM, Helmy HZ, Abudawood Y, Alqurashi M, Kattan WM, Kadasah NA, Chirwa GC, Alsharqi O. Knowledge, attitude and practice toward COVID-19 among the public in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Public Health. 2020 27 May;8:217.
27. Karijo E, Wamugi S, Lemanyishoe S, Njuki J, Boit F, Kibui V, Karanja S, Abuya T. Knowledge, attitudes, practices, and the effects of COVID-19 among the youth in Kenya. BMC Public Health. 2021 Dec;21(1):1-3.
28. Elhadi M, Alsoufi A, Alhadi A, Hmeida A, Alshareea E, Dokali M, Abodabos S, Alsadiq O, Abdelkabir M, Ashini A, Shaban A. Knowledge, attitude, and acceptance of healthcare workers and the public regarding the COVID-19 vaccine: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2021 May 20;21(1):955.
29. Ruiz-Frutos C, Ortega-Moreno M, Dias A, Bernardes JM, García-Iglesias JJ, Gómez-Salgado J. Information on COVID-19 and psychological distress in a sample of non-health workers during the pandemic period. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020 Oct;17(19):6982.
30. Bashir S, Alsultan F, Iqbal M, Alabdulkarim N, Alammari K, Almousa A, et al. Healthcare workers' knowledge and attitudes towards COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. 2021;25(3):1060-9.
31. Al-Batanony MA, Mansour AE. Perspective of University Students from Health and Non-Health Colleges on COVID-19 Pandemic: A Questionnaire-Based Survey. American Journal of Public Health. 2020 Sep 24;8(5):176-83.
32. Al‐Metwali BZ, Al‐Jumaili AA, Al‐Alag ZA, Sorofman B. Exploring the acceptance of COVID‐19 vaccine among healthcare workers and general population using health belief model. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. 2021 Oct;27(5):1112-22.
2. Khatatbeh H, Al‐Dwaikat T, Alfatafta H, Ali AM, Pakai A. Burnout, quality of life and perceived patient adverse events among paediatric nurses during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 2021 Oct 31:10.1111/jocn.16114.
3. Phua J, Weng L, Ling L, Egi M, Lim CM, Divatia JV, Shrestha BR, Arabi YM, Ng J, Gomersall CD, Nishimura M. Intensive care management of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): challenges and recommendations. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. 2020 May 1;8(5):506-17.
4. Nicola M, Alsafi Z, Sohrabi C, Kerwan A, Al-Jabir A, Iosifidis C, Agha M, Agha R. The socio-economic implications of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19): A review. International Journal of Surgery. 2020 Jun 1;78:185-93.
5. Khatatbeh M, Al-Maqableh HO, Albalas S, Al Ajlouni S, A'aqoulah A, Khatatbeh H, Kasasbeh MA, Khatatbeh I, Albalas R, Al-Tammemi AA. Attitudes and commitment toward precautionary measures against COVID-19 amongst the Jordanian population: A large-scale cross-sectional survey. Frontiers in Public Health. 2021 8 November;9:745149.
6. Kaddoura M, AlIbrahim M, Hijazi G, Soudani N, Audi A, Alkalamouni H, et al. COVID-19 therapeutic options under investigation. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2020 6 August;11:1196.
7. U.S. Food & Drug. FDA Approves First Treatment for COVID-19 [Internet]. [cited 2021 19 May]. Available from: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-treatment-covid-19
8. Beigel JH, Tomashek KM, Dodd LE, Mehta AK, Zingman BS, Kalil AC, et al. Remdesivir for the Treatment of Covid-19 — Final Report. New England Journal of Medicine. 2020;383(19):1813-26.
9. Lamontagne F, Agoritsas T, MacDonald H, Leo YS, DIaz J, Agarwal A, et al. A living WHO guideline on drugs for covid-19. BMJ. 2020 Sep 4;370:m3379.
10. Times TNY. Coronavirus Vaccine Tracker [Internet]. [cited 2021 15 May]. Available from: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.html
11. Coustasse A, Kimble C, Maxik K. COVID-19 and vaccine hesitancy: A challenge the United States must overcome. The Journal of Ambulatory Care Management. 2021 Jan 1;44(1):71-5.
12. World Health Organization. Status of COVID-19 Vaccines within WHO EUL/PQ evaluation process [Internet]. [cited 2021 25 May]. Available from: https://extranet.who.int/pqweb/sites/default/files/documents/Status_COVID_VAX_18May2021.pdf
13. Schoch-Spana M, Brunson EK, Long R, Ruth A, Ravi SJ, Trotochaud M, Borio L, Brewer J, Buccina J, Connell N, Hall LL. The public's role in COVID-19 vaccination: Human-centered recommendations to enhance pandemic vaccine awareness, access, and acceptance in the United States. Vaccine. 2021 Sep 24;39(40):6004-12.
14. MacDonald NE. Vaccine hesitancy: Definition, scope and determinants. Vaccine. 2015 Aug 14;33(34):4161-4.
15. Neumann-Böhme S, Varghese NE, Sabat I, Barros PP, Brouwer W, van Exel J, Schreyögg J, Stargardt T. Once we have it, will we use it? A European survey on willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The European Journal of Health Economics. 2020 Sep;21:977-82.
16. World Health Organization. Hungary Situation [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2021 19 May]. Available from: https://covid19.who.int/region/euro/country/hu
17. About Hungary - CMO: Hungary's medicines authority grants licences for two more vaccines [Internet]. [cited 2021 20 May]. Available from: https://abouthungary.hu/
18. Khatatbeh M, Al-Maqableh HO, Albalas S, Al Ajlouni S, A'aqoulah A, Khatatbeh H, Kasasbeh MA, Khatatbeh I, Albalas R, Al-Tammemi AA. Attitudes and commitment toward precautionary measures against COVID-19 amongst the Jordanian population: A large-scale cross-sectional survey. Frontiers in Public Health. 2021 8 November;9:745149.
19. Fusz K, Kívés Z, Pakai A, Kutfej N, Deák A, Oláh A. Health behavior, sleep quality and subjective health status among Hungarian nurses working varying shifts. Work. 2021 Jan 1;68(1):171-80.
20. Fusz K, Pakai A, Kívés Z, Szunomár S, Regős A, Oláh A. Work schedules in the Hungarian health care system and the sleep quality of nurses. Orvosi Hetilap. 2016 Mar 1;157(10):379-84.
21. Khatatbeh M, Alhalaiqa F, Khasawneh A, Al-Tammemi AA, Khatatbeh H, Alhassoun S, Al Omari O. The experiences of nurses and physicians caring for COVID-19 patients: findings from an exploratory phenomenological study in a high case-load country. International journal of environmental Research and Public Health. 2021 Aug 26;18(17):9002.
22. Von Elm E, Altman DG, Egger M, Pocock SJ, Gøtzsche PC, Vandenbroucke JP, Strobe Initiative. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. International Journal of Surgery. 2014 Dec 1;12(12):1495-9.
23. Shao J. Mathematical Statistics. 2nd ed. New York: NY:Springer; 2003.
24. Huynh G, Nguyen TV, Nguyen DD, Lam QM, Pham TN, Nguyen HT. Knowledge about COVID-19, beliefs and vaccination acceptance against COVID-19 among high-risk people in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Infection and Drug Resistance. 2021 May 13:1773-80.
25. Wang MW, Wen W, Wang N, Zhou MY, Wang CY, Ni J, Jiang JJ, Zhang XW, Feng ZH, Cheng YR. COVID-19 vaccination acceptance among healthcare workers and non-healthcare workers in China: A survey. Frontiers in Public Health. 2021 2 August;9:709056.
26. Al-Hanawi MK, Angawi K, Alshareef N, Qattan AM, Helmy HZ, Abudawood Y, Alqurashi M, Kattan WM, Kadasah NA, Chirwa GC, Alsharqi O. Knowledge, attitude and practice toward COVID-19 among the public in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study. Frontiers in Public Health. 2020 27 May;8:217.
27. Karijo E, Wamugi S, Lemanyishoe S, Njuki J, Boit F, Kibui V, Karanja S, Abuya T. Knowledge, attitudes, practices, and the effects of COVID-19 among the youth in Kenya. BMC Public Health. 2021 Dec;21(1):1-3.
28. Elhadi M, Alsoufi A, Alhadi A, Hmeida A, Alshareea E, Dokali M, Abodabos S, Alsadiq O, Abdelkabir M, Ashini A, Shaban A. Knowledge, attitude, and acceptance of healthcare workers and the public regarding the COVID-19 vaccine: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2021 May 20;21(1):955.
29. Ruiz-Frutos C, Ortega-Moreno M, Dias A, Bernardes JM, García-Iglesias JJ, Gómez-Salgado J. Information on COVID-19 and psychological distress in a sample of non-health workers during the pandemic period. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020 Oct;17(19):6982.
30. Bashir S, Alsultan F, Iqbal M, Alabdulkarim N, Alammari K, Almousa A, et al. Healthcare workers' knowledge and attitudes towards COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences. 2021;25(3):1060-9.
31. Al-Batanony MA, Mansour AE. Perspective of University Students from Health and Non-Health Colleges on COVID-19 Pandemic: A Questionnaire-Based Survey. American Journal of Public Health. 2020 Sep 24;8(5):176-83.
32. Al‐Metwali BZ, Al‐Jumaili AA, Al‐Alag ZA, Sorofman B. Exploring the acceptance of COVID‐19 vaccine among healthcare workers and general population using health belief model. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice. 2021 Oct;27(5):1112-22.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 10 No 3 (2023): Summer | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/npt.v10i3.13431 | |
| Keywords | ||
| COVID-19; coronavirus; vaccine; attitude; nurses; healthcare workers; Hungary | ||
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
How to Cite
1.
Pakai A, Mohammed Ali A, ALBashtawy M, Zrínyi M, Karácsony I, Ayasreh I, Al Awamleh R, Khatatbeh H. Attitudes toward COVID-19 disease and vaccination in Hungary: A comparison of nurses and health workers against non-health workers. NPT. 2023;10(3):219-228.
