ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Vaccination is one of the most significant public health achievements of humanity. However, a significant portion of the population remains hesitant about vaccine safety, efficacy, and necessity. This study aimed to determine COVID-19 vaccination intention and factors affecting their decision among the general population in the Kurdistan region, Iraq. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted online during (April-May 2021), and a total of 1171 participants provided complete and valid answers were enrolled. Data collection was done through online questionnaire through Google Forms. We used binary regression analysis to identify factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination intention. RESULTS: The majority (53.6%) of the participants were female. Willingness to accept COVID-19 vaccine was low (33 %) of the participants. We found that vaccine hesitancy/resistance was high which was evident for (32%) and (34.9%) of surveyed populations, respectively. Vaccination intention may associate with age, education, and occupation. Furthermore, several factors were associated with hesitancy/resistance: Adverse effects of the vaccine and loss of family members during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the study participants refused or were hesitant to have the COVID-19 vaccine, so that Governments and health authorities should improve communication and increase trust.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A considerable amount of research demonstrates how breastfeeding self-efficacy significantly influences breastfeeding outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of nursing intervention on mother's breastfeeding self-efficacy. METHODS: In this experimental investigation, 130 pregnant women who attended a primary health care centre were randomly assigned to the experimental (n = 65) or control (n = 65) groups. The experimental group received two 60-90 min group breastfeeding educational sessions based on the breastfeeding self-efficacy theory along with routine care. Mothers' knowledge, attitudes, prenatal and postnatal self-efficacy towards the breastfeeding were compared between both groups. The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale measured the attitudes. Prenatal Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale measured the self-efficacy during pregnancy and Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy-Short Form measured the self-efficacy in postnatal period. RESULTS: Breastfeeding self-efficacy during pregnancy and following two months of delivery in the experimental group was significantly higher. The experimental group had a higher level of knowledge and attitude in comparison with subjects in the control group. In addition, the mothers who breastfed exclusively had higher levels of postnatal self-efficacy in both experimental and control groups compared to formula feeding women (52.00 vs. 39.45 in the control and 57.69 vs. 36.00 in the experimental subjects; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The present investigation suggests that antenatal breastfeeding education is an effective way to increase the level of breastfeeding self-efficacy, which increases exclusive breastfeeding practice.
