Knowledge Of COVID-19 Research Articles

The new era of outdoor events post-pandemic: how psychological factors drive participants' social distancing intentions

PurposeThe outdoor event market was devastated during the COVID-19 pandemic because of social distancing measures. Therefore, this study aimed to explore stereotyped tendencies and behavioral intentions associated with the prosocial and sustainable practices of outdoor event participants to assess shifts in industry paradigms.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted structural equation modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to relatively examine sequential and combined effects of cognitive (knowledge of COVID-19, awareness of consequences, ascribed responsibility and perceived threat of COVID-19), affective (positive and negative anticipated emotions) and normative drivers (social and moral norms) on intention to practice social distancing requirements. The impact of cultural differences was further explored by comparing attendees from China and USA.FindingsThe SEM results showed that most cognitive drivers significantly affected affective drivers and normative drivers, leading to the intention to practice social distancing requirements. In addition, China and the USA showed significant differences on six paths including the path from moral norm to intention to practice social distancing requirements. Further, fsQCA results revealed the important combination of the factors that affects social distancing intention.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides meaningful theoretical and practical implications for outdoor events scholars and managers. The research suggests a changing direction in event studies and shares ideas on how to manage and make outdoor events a new success after the pandemic.Originality/valueThis is the first study to adopt a mixed method of SEM and fsQCA attempt to explore the driving forces of outdoor participants’ pro-social behavior from cognitive, affective and normative perspectives.

Lessons for communication strategies during health emergencies from a COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes and practices study in an informal settlement in Mumbai, India

The COVID-19 pandemic provided lessons for health policies across the globe. We assessed the knowledge, attitudes and practices of vulnerable populations in an informal settlement in Mumbai, India, during the pandemic. We discuss the viability and effectiveness of communication strategies based on these results and offer suggestions for policy modifications regarding awareness generation and behavioral change during health emergencies. The study was conducted through a telephone survey among 460 respondents (233 men and 226 women) from April to May 2021. Television (94%) and family (70%) were the most common sources of information, but they were not the most trusted. Most respondents were aware of the causes and preventive measures of COVID-19, including vaccination. However, this awareness did not always result in changes in attitudes and behavior- 66% perceived low or no risk to COVID-19, while 93% did not consider it essential to wear masks in workspaces and 78% did not sanitize their hands before entering workspaces. More respondents were concerned about loss of employment (53%) than about their physical (10%) or mental (4%) health. The study highlights the need for context-specific communication strategies for vulnerable populations. This includes providing reliable and accessible sources of information, emphasizing accuracy and detail, and adopting a holistic and multidimensional approach to awareness and information sharing.

“You’re telling us to go first?!” COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination experiences among Aboriginal adults in Western Australia

Globally, Indigenous populations have been disproportionately impacted by pandemics. In Australia, though national infection rates with COVID-19 infections in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people were lower in the first 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was soon a greater burden in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Island people once Omicron was circulating. Uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine was also lower among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. It was imperative to understand the stories of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in WA about their experience of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine rollout. Between September 2022 and October 2023, we conducted five face-to-face yarning workshops with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in Noongar Whadjuk Boodja (Perth metropolitan region, Western Australia). Yarns discussed COVID-19 experiences, knowledge and attitudes about COVID-19 and vaccination, reasons for or against COVID-19 vaccination, trusted sources of information, and knowledge of COVID-19 vaccination programmes for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. Data was thematically analysed in an inductive manner on NVivo, followed by a data interpretation forum with study investigators and community members. Across the five yarning workshops, we heard the stories and experiences of 38 Aborginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. Many described the negative impact that the policies implemented to control COVID-19 had on their ability to connect with their community and practice traditional culture. Very few participants trusted government and any government information due to both historical and contemporary factors. This led participants to be wary of the fact they were among the first to be prioritised for COVID-19 vaccination in Australia. Though most participants (92%) had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine, there were high levels of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. The main reason for this was due to COVID-19 vaccine mandates; participants were, in essence, coerced acceptors of what they felt to be an unsafe vaccine that provided little protection against a mild disease. Our yarns identified high levels of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and circulation of misinformation amongst Perth-based Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people. Our findings also demonstrate that there were many unintended consequences of COVID-19 policies on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and culture. Future pandemic policies and vaccine programmes must consider the impact on not only the health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people but also the impact on community and culture.

Knowledge, attitude and practices associated with COVID-19 among undergraduate students from Malaysian public universities during the endemic phase: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundAfter two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Malaysia began the transition to the endemic phase. students at higher education institutes are among those who were affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and deserve further attention. Hence, this study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) associated with COVID-19 among public university undergraduate students in Malaysia during the endemic phase. This study would be able to provide valuable insights that can enhance public health strategies, improve educational efforts, and prepare better for future health challenges.MethodsAn online cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students at public universities in Malaysia. KAP towards COVID-19 were measured using a structured Malay and English version questionnaire consisting of (i) sociodemographic characteristics, (ii) knowledge of COVID-19 (10 items), attitudes associated with COVID-19 (five items) and practice on COVID-19 preventive measures (six items). Validity and reliability tests were conducted to assess the level of consistency of KAP content with Cronbach alpha values of 0.617, 0.616 and 0.722 for each section, respectively. Descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal Wallis test and Pearson correlation were conducted.ResultsAround 73% of the respondents had good knowledge of COVID-19, 58.6% possessed positive attitudes, and 54.6% were classified as having good practices in COVID-19 prevention. There was no significant difference in knowledge scores among sociodemographic data. A significant difference in attitude scores was observed among race, zones of the public university and household incomes. Besides that, a significant difference in practice scores was also observed among gender, race and student accommodation. A weak positive and significant correlation existed between knowledge and practices (r = 0.220 and p = 0.001). Meanwhile, there was no correlation between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.039 and p = 0.517).ConclusionUndergraduate students from Malaysian public universities had good KAP associated with COVID-19. Still, appropriate health promotion activities are needed to provide the students with adequate knowledge, positive attitudes and good practice of COVID-19 prevention measures in the future.

A narrative review focusing on randomized clinical trials of vitamin D supplementation for COVID-19 disease.

Current evidence is inconsistent on whether vitamin D supplementation can prevent COVID-19 infection or improve its clinical outcomes. To better understand and look into the issue, we went through the background knowledge of COVID-19 and vitamin D, searched in Pubmed [by using key words in the title containing "randomized clinical trial", "COVID-19", and "vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D, or cholecalciferol, or calcidiol, or calcifediol) supplementation"] for publications of studies on vitamin D/supplementation in COVID-19 patients, especially those about the randomized clinical trials (RCTs). After reviewing these papers, we did a short background review of vitamin D and the pathophysiology of COVID-19, summarized the key features of the 25 RCTs in text and tabulated in a table of some of the features, commented, compared and discussed the differences between RCTs (for example, change the serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration from nmol/L to ng/mL, making the comparison easier). The take-home question of the review is that serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration is an important indicator of the supplementation effect of vitamin D correction but may not be reliable in predicting the supplementation effect on the clinical outcomes of COVID-19.

Health and Financial Literacy and the Acquisition of COVID-19 Knowledge in Older Adults.

Knowledge about COVID-19 enters into many aspects of decision making, especially for older people who are at increased risk of severe disease or death. Yet little is known about the resources that supported older people's uptake of COVID-19 knowledge. Here, we hypothesized that higher pre-pandemic health and financial literacy was associated with higher COVID-19 knowledge. Participants were 434 community-based older people without dementia. COVID-19 knowledge was assessed via a 5-item measure, and health and financial literacy was assessed via a 32-item measure. In an ordinal regression model adjusted for age, gender, and education, higher literacy was associated with higher COVID-19 knowledge (p < .0001), and this association persisted after further adjusting for robust measures of global cognition or one of five specific cognitive domains (all p's ≤ .0001). These findings suggest that literacy plays a key role in supporting older people's acquisition of impactful knowledge in the real world.

Knowledge of COVID-19 and the psychological status of parents: a retrospective survey in Wuhan, Hubei

ObjectiveDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents faced heightened stress, anxiety and depression due to the local and global COVID-19 mitigation measures and lockdowns.DesignThis is a cross-sectional study.SettingThis study used stratified...

Self-efficacy and healthy lifestyle behaviors as mediators between COVID-19 care knowledge and health status

The COVID-19 epidemic has affected the psychological well-being and daily life of college students, leading to a decrease in their quality of life. Health status can be influenced by a variety of factors. This study aims to assess the current health status of university students and explore the relationships among COVID-19 care knowledge, self-efficacy, healthy lifestyle behaviors, and health status and how these factors are influenced. Among the 1694 participants, 49.4% were male, 50.6% were female, and 82.2% were freshmen. The results revealed that health status across all dimensions decreased to some extent. COVID-19 care knowledge affected both physical and mental component summaries. The results suggest that improving COVID-19 care knowledge, strengthening self-efficacy, and promoting the development of healthy lifestyle behaviors can positively impact their health status. Here, we explore the health status of college students with COVID-19 infection and the factors and mechanisms that influence it to guide health interventions to better meet the challenges posed by future outbreaks.

Investigating the Level of Knowledge of Nurses Working in Educational Hospitals of Ilam about COVID-19 in Iran

Introduction: Since nurses are responsible for caring of patients, increasing their knowledge will lead to better care. Here, we measured nurses’ COVID-19 knowledge in the teaching hospitals of Ilam. Materials and Methods: In this study, descriptive-analytical approach was used for data collection using a self-assessment questionnaire including demographic information and 12 questions about nurses' knowledge of COVID-19 disease. The data were collected in May 2020 and analyzed by SPSS 19 software. The significance level was considered at P &lt;0.05. Results: Overall, 134 (72.4%) and 51 (27.6%) of the participants were males and females, respectively. The mean score of knowledge about COVID-19 disease was 6.04± 0.45. Nearly half of the nurses (45.4%) had good knowledge on the source of the disease, signs and symptoms, transmission routes, and progression and mortality rate of COVID-19. Conclusion: Most of the nurses had intermediate knowledge about COVID-19. However, it is essential for the Ministry of Health to provide accurate and coherent information according to the WHO guidelines.

Validation of a Questionnaire on COVID-19 Knowledge and Attitude for Dental Patients

Objectives: The current study aimed to develop a valid and reliable questionnaire in both English and Persian to assess dental patients' knowledge and attitude during the COVID-19 outbreak. Materials and Methods: Through a comprehensive literature review, we designed the primary questionnaire in English and then translated it into Persian. The questionnaire consisted of six sections covering background information, knowledge of emergency dental treatments, transmission routes of disease, required preparation, source of information, and attitude. To evaluate the validity of the questionnaire, the researchers obtained expert opinions using the Item Content Validity Index (I-CVI) and Scale Content Validity Index (S-CVI/Ave). They distributed online versions of the questionnaire to a total of 60 English-speaking adults in Nigeria and the United States, and 60 Persian-speaking adults in Iran to measure its reliability using Cronbach's alpha. Results: I-CVI score, S-CVI/Ave, and Cronbach’s alpha of the questionnaire ranged from 0.29-1, 0.62-0.99, and 41.1-87.6%, respectively. After reviewing the scores and comments received on each item, taking into account the opinions of the research team, a decision was made to remove, merge, modify, or retain certain items. This led to a final version of the questionnaire consisting of nine questions in the background section and 46 items in the remaining five sections. Conclusion: Overall, the developed questionnaire appears to be valid and reliable for assessing the knowledge and attitude of dental patients toward COVID-19 in dental settings. It can potentially serve as an appropriate scale in future infectious disease epidemics across diverse populations.

COVID-19 Attitudes and Quality of Life in Older Adults in Puerto Rico: The Mediating Role of Psychological Sense of Community.

Quality of life (QOL) for older adults in Puerto Rico was significantly impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet there has been little attention to this topic. This study examines the association between COVID-19-related attitudes and QOL and the mediating role of the psychological sense of community (PSOC) in this context. Data are from a COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey with a nonprobability sample of 213 Puerto Rican adults aged 60+ in 2021. We conducted a mediated linear regression model using Hayes's PROCESS macro. Results showed that both COVID-19 attitudes and PSOC positively related to QOL. Additionally, COVID-19 attitudes also had a positive effect on PSOC and an indirect, positive effect on QOL through PSOC. These findings suggest that enhancing older adults' positive attitudes and strengthening community connections should be central to public health strategies, especially in community-oriented cultures like Puerto Rico.

Rural residents' Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice in relation to infection risk during the late stage of an epidemic: a cross-sectional study of COVID-19.

In the field of public health, the prevention and management of infectious diseases in rural regions have always been crucial. This study aims to analyze the factors influencing rural residents' Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices and their correlation with infection risk during the late stage of an epidemic, with a focus on the COVID-19 case. A cross-sectional study was conducted in rural regions of China's Guangdong province, using a multi-stage sampling technique to select rural residents for a validated questionnaire survey in February 2023. Descriptive statistical method was used to describe the infection status of rural residents and Chi-Square Test was used to explore the influencing factors of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice in this population. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the presence of a statistically significant association between explanatory variables and outcome variables at corresponding 95% CI. A total of 3,125 rural residents were investigated, of whom 805 had never been infected with COVID-19. The survey participants had an average score of 5.84 ± 1.419 for COVID-19 knowledge. (The total score range is from 0 to 8. A score greater than 6.4 indicates good knowledge acquisition.) Regarding the attitude and practice sections, the average scores were 23.68 ± 3.169 and 23.45 ± 5.030, respectively. (The total score range of both these sections is from 0 to 32. A score greater than 25.6 represents positive attitudes and good practices.) The reduction of COVID-19 risk is significantly associated with an increase in Knowledge scores (p trend < 0.01). In stratified analyses, the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices scores of residents in each region have varying degrees of correlation with the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Rural residents' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on COVID-19 prevention and control requires improvement. Efforts to promote their' perceptions and habits regarding COVID-19 prevention and control are crucial in reducing the risk of infection.

An exploratory study on the mental and physical effect of wearing facemasks among preschool students

&lt;p&gt;目的：本研究旨在瞭解家長、幼兒及教保服務人員配戴口罩之現況， 及家長與教保服務人員背景變項與 COVID-19 認知對其COVID-19 預防態度之預測力。方法：以自編問卷為研究工具，利用分層多段集束隨機抽樣，取得家長 1451 份與教保服務人員 453 份的有效樣本數。結果：（1）家長、幼兒及教保服務人員，戴口罩執行率達 99% 以上；（2）33.83% 家長與 49.31% 教保服務人員表示，長期戴口罩造成幼兒身心發展影響；（3）32.10% 家長與 43.58% 教保服務人員表示，幼兒長期戴口罩造成健康負面影響；（4）COVID-19 認知平均答對率，家長 96.67% 與教保服務人員 92.87%；（5）COVID-19 預防態度執行率，家長 93.11% 與教保服務人員 92.99；（6）家長與教保服務人員 COVID-19 認知與 COVID-19 預防態度呈現顯著正相關；（7）父親學歷愈高與家長 COVID-19 認知愈好，COVID-19 預防態度的執行力愈佳；（8）教保服務人員 COVID-19 認知愈好者，COVID-19 預防態度的執行力愈佳。結論：家長與教保服務人員對於 COVID-19 疫情傳播和保護幼兒的重要性有一致的認知和共識。&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Objectives: 1) The explorations included the current use of facemasks among preschool students, parents, and teachers. 2) The mental and physical effects on preschool students of long-term use of facemasks by parents and teachers. 3) The potential health impact of long-term use of facemasks by preschool students. 4) The explored the relationship between cognition of COVID-19 and preventive attitude among preschool teachers and parents. 5) The study also aimed to examine the predictive power of background factors of preschool teachers and parents on the cognition of COVID-19 and preventive attitude. Methods: Using the questionnaire survey method, this research used a self-made questionnaire as a research tool, using stratified multi-stage random cluster sampling, and for parents, with 1451, for teachers, with 453 samples being valid. The researchers collected the data obtained and analyzed it using descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: 1) The compliance rate for wearing masks consistently when going out reached over 99% among children, parents and teachers. 2) 33.83% of parents and 49.31% of teachers expressed the opinion that prolonged mask-wearing by adults has an impact on the physical and mental development of children. 3) 32.10% of parents and 43.58% of teachers stated that prolonged mask-wearing by children has a negative impact on health. 4) The overall correct rate for COVID-19 knowledge was 96.67% among parents and 92.87% among teachers. 5) The overall compliance rate for COVID-19 prevention attitudes was 93.11% among parents and 92.99% among teachers. 6) There was a significant positive correlation between &amp;quot;COVID-19 knowledge&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;COVID-19 prevention attitudes&amp;quot; between parents and teachers. 7) The father’s education level and parents’ COVID-19 knowledge correlated with their COVID-19 prevention attitudes. 8) Education and teachers&amp;rsquo; COVID-19 knowledge correlated with their COVID-19 prevention attitudes. Conclusion and Recommendations: Based on the results of this study, it is suggested that health authorities promote awareness and understanding of COVID-19 prevention through various means.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;

#stayathome?: Increased children’s emotion regulation in covid-19 pandemic

Emotion Regulation is an important resource over children development, especially when facing adversities. The arrival of Convid-19 pandemic has resulted in procedures as quarantine and social distancing, which may cause mental health status challenges for children. The aim of this study was to compare parents’ perception on their children’s emotional regulation before and during quarantine. The results showed positive correlation between Covid’s behavioral and cognitive variables, as risk perception, virus exposure, preventive care, social distancing and Covid-19 knowledge with emotion regulation. Unexpectedly there was an increment on children’s emotion regulation during quarantine period perceived by their parents. This data can provide clues regarding the emotion development, the route of how mental health preventive measures should go, prioritizing parents support and psychoeducation.

Discovering current trends and forecasting future research directions in FinTech by way of co-word-burst analyses

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify the existing research themes and future directions of the FinTech field by analyzing the dynamics of co-word burst.Design/methodology/approachA dataset of 1792 SCI or SSCI articles retrieved from the Web of Science database. First, the paper conducted a scientific production analysis. Then, using bibliometric analysis, the paper conducts co-word-burst analyses for keywords, title, abstract and Keywords Plus to detect the emerging trends. Based on these trends, future research directions were forecasted.FindingsThe study detected six research themes: the knowledge of FinTech, FinTech applications, FinTech technologies, COVID-19, FinTech ecosystem and FinTech implications for research. These six FinTech research themes were further conceptualized as a six-dimensional analytical framework for FinTech investigations. Then, the study forecasts that these six themes and related conversations will be an ongoing focus of Fintech research, particularly COVID-19 effects on FinTech.Originality/valueThis study is the first attempt to review FinTech literature based on quantitative and qualitative analyses of co-word burst. It overcomes the limitation of individual/group determinant(s) studies and presents a holistic view of current research themes and future research directions in FinTech field.

Assessment of the Level of Awareness and Knowledge of Covid-19 among rural population in Khulna, Bangladesh

Objective: The objective of the study was to find out level of Awareness and knowledge about covid-19 among rural population in Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive type of study was carried out in Bathiaghata Upazilla, Khulna from 25.11.21 to 25.12.2021. Adult persons, 455 (male 181 and female 274) with mean age ± SD was 24 ±1.5 years, selected purposively from the households in the adjacent villages were included in the study as respondents. Results: Among the respondents, 97.4% heard about covid-19. Of them, 292 (71.6%) had knowledge that the disease is transmitted by cough, sneezing, direct contact and the proportion of the respondents who knew about symptoms like high fever, headache, cough, loss of taste and loss of smell were 50.1%, 16.7%,16% and 7.4%, respectively. Most of the respondents received health care services from MBBS doctors (87.3%). The majority of the respondent (76.5%) identified who heard about prevention of covid-19 by wearing mask, as a good preventive practice against covid-19 infection, followed by frequent hand washing (18.4%) which is eventually important for the prevention of covid-19. Conclusion: It was a unique study that describing adult heath related knowledge on covid-19 among adult population in a rural area. The study results suggest a further need to strengthen health education about covid-19 among rural population in Bangladesh. Mediscope 2024;11(2): 62-67

Factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination intentions and mediating effects among older adults in Southwest China

This study examines the factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination intentions among Chinese residents over the age of 60, with a focus on the mediating roles of Health Beliefs and Cues to Vaccination Action in the relationship between vaccine knowledge and vaccination intentions. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey involving 1,305 participants from Southwest China. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified potential determinants of vaccination intention, including socioeconomic characteristics, knowledge, health beliefs, and cues to vaccination action. Furthermore, mediation analysis using the causal mediation analysis method explored the mediating effects within the knowledge-to-intention pathway. Vaccination intention and its related factors: among the 1212 elderly people included in the study, 92.9% expressed willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Main factors influencing their vaccination willingness included Residency (urban vs. rural, OR = 0.47, p < 0.01), Age (75 + vs. others, OR = 0.41, p < 0.05), Marital status (OR = 0.36, p < 0.01), Occupation ( business/service vs. others, OR = 0.33, p < 0.05), Awareness of vaccine effectiveness (OR = 1.23, p < 0.01), Cues to vaccination action (OR = 1.31, p < 0.01) and COVID-19 related knowledge (OR = 1.06, p < 0.01). The analysis revealed two significant mediators—Health Beliefs and Cues to Vaccination Action. These mediators (p<0.05 for both natural indirect effect and natural direct effect) acted along two key pathways: (1) From Knowledge of COVID-19 to Health Beliefs to Vaccination Intention: Natural Direct Effects (NDE) ranged from 0.012 to 0.016, with Natural Indirect Effects (NIE) from 0.001 to 0.003, indicating that mediators accounted for 4% to 18% of the total effect. (2) From Knowledge of COVID-19 to Cues of Vaccination Action to Vaccination Intention: NDE ranged from 0.012 to 0.016 and NIE from 0.002 to 0.003, with mediators accounting for 9% to 20% of the effect. The intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 among older adults varies significantly based on socioeconomic and health belief factors. The study identifies health beliefs and cues to action not only as direct contributors but also as crucial mediators in the pathway from knowledge to vaccination intention among older individuals. These findings can extend our understanding of the impact of sociodemographic factors and health beliefs on the COVID-19 vaccination willingness among older adults.

Co-producing COVID-19 health education resources with ethnic minority communities in the UK

Abstract Background Effective communication of relevant health information is challenging in elderly minority ethnic groups due to language barriers and cultural differences. During the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the public health guidance around COVID-19 was in dominant languages, lacking cultural nuance. This study aimed to co-produce culturally, linguistically, and age-appropriate health education resources in COVID-19, tailored to the needs of older adults from ethnic minority backgrounds. Methods This study involved three stages: 1) Semi-structured interviews with Indian and Nepalese older adults (≥65 years), their families (≥18 years) and healthcare professionals (HCPs) (≥18 years) engaging with these communities; 2) Co-production of COVID-19 information resource, and c) Implementation of co-produced resources among the communities. Results 24 participants took part in the study. There was wide variation in participants’ knowledge of COVID-19; some were knowledgeable, while others had limited information. Participants highlighted the need for information in multiple formats and languages and discussed the importance of culturally avenues for information dissemination. Drawing on these findings and two co-production workshops held with the stakeholders, culturally sensitive information leaflets (electronic and paper) were co-prodcued in Hindi and Nepalese using age-appropriate images and infographics. The leaflets were distributed widely to the Nepalese and Indian communities, healthcare trusts and local authorities using the networks of community members, HCPs, and religious leaders. Conclusions The project highlights the significance of participatory methods in the development of culturally relevant public health interventions applicable to the cultural practices of ethnic minority groups. The co-production approach in this study could influence information provision for future public health campaigns for other marginalised groups. Key messages • Health information should be co-produced with a representative sample of the community members and relevant stakeholders. • There is a need on an ongoing basis to identify and fill the information gaps, address misinformation and develop targeted messages.

The Perspectives of Community Pharmacists Toward the Name-Based Rationing System During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Taiwan: Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

In Taiwan's public health system, community-based pharmacists are key first-line health care providers due to their high accessibility. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the pharmacists played a central role in the distribution of these supplies through the Name-Based Rationing System (NBRS), during an acute shortage of masks and testing kits, that helped reduce the spread of the disease. The NBRS, an innovative government-guided strategy developed after the COVID-19 outbreak, provided equitable and convenient access to masks and COVID-19 test kits. This study aimed to investigate (1) Taiwanese pharmacists' knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs) of COVID-19, with the intention to assess their preparedness for public health emergencies and their capabilities to implement COVID-19-related policies effectively; (2) their perspectives toward the NBRS; and (3) the association between individual's KAP and corresponding perspectives toward the NBRS. A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted in 2 major cities in Taiwan, from June 18 to September 11, 2022, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. To gauge community pharmacists' KAP, a 66-question instrument was developed using guidelines from the Taiwanese Centers for Disease Control, the International Pharmaceutical Federation, and the Taiwanese Pharmacist Association. The instrument's internal consistency reliability was ascertained using Cronbach α (0.819), and its content validity was verified by field experts. Overall, 343 Taiwanese community pharmacists were recruited in the study. Among them, 88% (303/343) scored high on knowledge domain questions related to SARS-CoV-2; 58% (201/343) and 39% (136/343) held positive and neutral attitudes toward COVID-19-related policies, respectively; and 77% (266/343) practiced infectious disease prevention measures in compliance with official guidelines. The results demonstrated a high level of competency in pharmacists in a public health crisis. It revealed that factors including age, pharmacy characteristics, and the number of customers were associated with their perceptions and willingness to continuously participate in the NBRS. Overall, the community pharmacists showed greater support for the COVID-19-testing NBRS compared with the mask NBRS, because of the more favorable influence on the revenue and workforce of the pharmacies and the well-being of the pharmacists. Responses also highlighted concerns about rapid government policy changes and supply dynamics, underscoring the importance of effective communication and considering supply availability in facilitating a successful NBRS. The strong KAP of the community pharmacists justified the government leveraging their expertise in Taiwan's COVID-19 response. While community pharmacies have proven to be essential distribution centers through the NBRS, improving community connections, communication with the government, and supply management are recommended to strengthen the system. These potential approaches aim to ensure successful NBRS implementation and better preparedness for future public health emergencies. Overall, pharmacists have demonstrated their integral role in achieving equitable outcomes and their dedication to public health efforts during crises.

COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Ethiopia: a latent class analysis

BackgroundDespite evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine, vaccine hesitancy has emerged as a major challenge for vaccine uptake. The objective of this study was to classify latent typologies of vaccine hesitant adults in Ethiopia and identify predictors of the latent classes.MethodsWe employed a cross-sectional household survey among 1,112 individuals aged 18 and above who were partially vaccinated (one dose) or not vaccinated at the time of the survey. Data was collected in August 2022. We collected information on participant socio-demographics, COVID-19 knowledge, prevention practices, disease history, and vaccine hesitancy. Latent class analysis was used to classify individuals into categories of vaccine hesitancy. We conducted multinomial logistic regression to test the associations between latent typologies and different demographic and COVID-19 related characteristics of study participants.ResultsUsing latent class analysis we found a four-class solution for vaccine hesitancy typologies. The identified classes were strong vaccine acceptors (30%); vaccine acceptors with some concerns (7%); vaccine sceptics (13%); and vaccine rejectors (50%). In adjusted models with vaccine sceptics as the referent group, those with high COVID-19 vaccine knowledge were significantly more likely to belong to the strong vaccine acceptors class compared to those with low vaccine knowledge (adj. RRR: 17.36, 95% CI: 10.94–27.55). Better COVID-19 prevention practices were also significantly associated with belonging to the vaccine acceptors with some concerns class than the vaccine sceptics class (adj. RRR: 2.13, 95% CI: 1.09–4.16). Those who had one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine were significantly more likely to belong in the vaccine acceptors class than the vaccine sceptics class compared to those who had no dose (adj. RRR: 6.82, 95% CI: 3.06–15.21).ConclusionsHalf of the study participants were in the vaccine rejectors class. Individuals in the vaccine sceptics and rejector classes evidenced lower vaccine knowledge and worse COVD-19 prevention practices and were less likely to have been partially vaccinated. Future program interventions should focus on improving knowledge around the vaccine, decrease rumors and misconceptions, and target individuals who may be more amenable to changing their vaccination attitudes or behaviors like vaccine sceptics or acceptors with some concerns.