COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance of Pregnant and Lactating Women (PLW) in Czechia: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

Abanoub Riad, Anna Jouzová, Batuhan Üstün, Eliška Lagová, Lukáš Hruban, Petr Janků, Andrea Pokorná, Jitka Klugarová, Michal Koščík and Miloslav Klugar
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Abanoub Riad: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
Anna Jouzová: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brno and Medical Faculty, Masaryk University, Obilní Trh 11, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic
Batuhan Üstün: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Namık Kemal University, Namık Kemal Kampüs Caddesi No. 1, Merkez, Tekirdağ 59030, Turkey
Eliška Lagová: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
Lukáš Hruban: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brno and Medical Faculty, Masaryk University, Obilní Trh 11, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic
Petr Janků: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Brno and Medical Faculty, Masaryk University, Obilní Trh 11, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic
Andrea Pokorná: Czech National Centre for Evidence-Based Healthcare and Knowledge Translation (Cochrane Czech Republic, Czech EBHC: JBI Centre of Excellence, Masaryk University GRADE Centre), Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
Jitka Klugarová: Czech National Centre for Evidence-Based Healthcare and Knowledge Translation (Cochrane Czech Republic, Czech EBHC: JBI Centre of Excellence, Masaryk University GRADE Centre), Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
Michal Koščík: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
Miloslav Klugar: Czech National Centre for Evidence-Based Healthcare and Knowledge Translation (Cochrane Czech Republic, Czech EBHC: JBI Centre of Excellence, Masaryk University GRADE Centre), Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 24, 1-24

Abstract: Pregnant and lactating women (PLW) represent a particular population subset with increased susceptibility for COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, even though the evidence about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines was delayed due to their initial exclusion from development trials. This unclear situation could have led to increased COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy levels among PLW; therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the attitudes of Czech PLW towards COVID-19 vaccines and the determinants of their attitudes. An analytical cross-sectional survey-based study was carried out in the University Hospital Brno (South Moravia, Czechia) between August and October 2021. The study utilised a self-administered questionnaire (SAQ) adapted from previous instruments used for the same purpose. The SAQ included closed-ended items covering demographic characteristics, clinical and obstetric characteristics, attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination, and potential psychosocial predictors of vaccine acceptance. Out of the 362 included participants, 278 were pregnant (PW) and 84 were lactating women (LW). The overall COVID-19 vaccine acceptance (immediate and delayed) level was substantially high (70.2%), with a significant difference between PW (76.6%) and LW (48.8%). Out of the 70.2% who agreed to receive the vaccine, 3.6% indicated immediate acceptance, and 66.6% indicated delayed acceptance. Only 13.3% of the participants indicated their acceptance of their physician’s vaccination recommendation during pregnancy or while lactating, and 62.2% were against it. Our results agreed with the recent studies that revealed that PW tended to have a high level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, and they were also inclined to resist professional recommendations because they predominantly preferred to delay their vaccination. The pregnancy trimester, education level, employment status, and previous live births were significant determinants for COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. The most commonly preferred vaccine type was mRNA-based vaccines, followed by viral vector-based and inactivated virus vaccines. The first top priority of PLW was vaccine safety for their children, followed by vaccine safety for the PLW and vaccine effectiveness. Regarding psychosocial predictors, media/social media, trust in the government, the pharmaceutical industry, and healthcare professionals, partners, and a positive risk-benefit ratio were significant promoters for COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Findings from this study suggest that promotional interventions targeting PLW should use web platforms and focus on vaccine safety evidence, the expected benefits of vaccines and potential harms of the infection.

Keywords: breastfeeding; COVID-19 vaccines; Czech Republic; decision making; health promotion; pregnant women; risk assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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