Publisher logo
Sign Up
Jordan Journal of Applied Science-Natural Science Series
Submit Manuscript
Applied Science Private University

Volume Volume 18, 2024 · Issue 1 · Open Access · Double-blind Peer-review

Submit an articleJournal homepage

Hypothesis

Knowledge, Practices, and Psychological Motives of Lebanese Adults Towards Influenza A (H1N1) Vaccination

Verginia Moubarak1, Diana Malaeb2, Nisreen Mourad3, Samar Younes3, Shatha Mayta3, Katia Iskandar4, Malik Sallam5,6,7, Sahar Obeid8, Souheil Hallit9,10 & Rabih Hallit1,11

1 School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Beirut, Lebanon.

2 College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates.

3 School of Pharmacy, Lebanese International University, Bekaa Campus, Lebanon.

* Corresponding author: Souheil Hallit ([email protected])

Published: 30 Jun 2024

https://doi.org/10.35192/jjoas-n.v18i1.1841
Download PDF
Abstract

Objectives: Influenza A (H1N1) virus can provoke severe illness or even death in people with underlying medical conditions. This study is particularly important in Lebanon due to suboptimal influenza vaccination rates, especially among high-risk groups and individuals with low income. We conducted this study to investigate influenza vaccine acceptance and its associated factors, primarily psychological motives, in addition to influenza knowledge and practices among a group of Lebanese adults.

Study Design: A cross-sectional study enrolled 441 participants from various districts and governorates across Lebanon.

Methods: Participants answered an online self-administered questionnaire with closed-ended questions written in Arabic. The questionnaire included elements related to influenza knowledge and practices. Additionally, the validated 5C scale (confidence, complacency, convenience, calculation, and collective responsibility) was used to assess the psychological determinants of vaccine acceptance. The 5C scale helps evaluate the psychological factors affecting an individual’s hesitance or acceptance of vaccination, which can contribute to designing targeted interventions.

Results: A total of 441 adults completed the survey, with a mean age of 31.52 ± 9.48 years, and 57.6% were female. Using the 75th percentile as a cutoff point, the results showed that 119 (27.0%) participants had good knowledge, and 171 (38.8%) had good practices regarding influenza. Having a university level of education and greater convenience were significantly associated with higher odds of possessing high knowledge, while being married was significantly associated with lower odds. Increased levels of knowledge and greater convenience were significantly correlated with higher odds of adopting better practices regarding influenza.

Conclusion: An improvement in public health strategies and the promotion of awareness are needed nationally to support an adequate community response before any influenza season.

KeywordsInfluenza A (H1N1)Psychological motivesCorrelatesKnowledgePracticeInfluenza vaccineLebanese population

License

Journal License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license

References

  1. Youssef D, Berry A, Youssef J, Abou-Abbas L. Vaccination against influenza among Lebanese health care workers in the era of coronavirus disease 2019. BMC public health 2022 Jan 18,;22(1):120.
  2. Jilani TN, Jamil RT, Nguyen AD, Siddiqui AH. H1N1 Influenza. StatPearls Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024.
  3. Froes F, Timóteo A, Almeida B, Raposo JF, Oliveira J, Carrageta M, et al. Influenza vaccination in older adults and patients with chronic disorders: A position paper from the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology, the Portuguese Society of Cardiology, the Portuguese Society of Diabetology, the Portuguese Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, the Portuguese Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology, and the Study Group of Geriatrics of the Portuguese Society of Internal Medicine. Pulmonology 2023 Dec.
  4. Nasiri MJ, Danaei B, Deravi N, Chirani AS, Bonjar AHS, Khoshgoftar Z, et al. Impact of educational interventions on the prevention of influenza: A systematic review. Frontiers in public health 2022 Sep 20,;10:978456.
  5. Welch VL, Metcalf T, Macey R, Markus K, Sears AJ, Enstone A, et al. Understanding the barriers and attitudes toward influenza vaccine uptake in the adult general population: a rapid review. Vaccines (Basel) 2023 Jan 13,;11(1):180.
  6. Chen C, Liu X, Yan D, Zhou Y, Ding C, Chen L, et al. Global influenza vaccination rates and factors associated with influenza vaccination. International journal of infectious diseases 2022 Dec;125:153-163.
  7. Zaraket H, Dapat C, Ghanem S, Ali Z, Lteif M, Kondo H, et al. Characterization of Human Influenza Viruses in Lebanon during 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 Post-Pandemic Seasons. Intervirology 2014 Jan 1,;57(6):344-352.
  8. Sakr S, Ghaddar A, Sheet I, Eid AH, Hamam B. Knowledge, attitude and practices related to COVID-19 among young Lebanese population. BMC public health 2021 Apr 6,;21(1):653.
  9. El Khoury G, Salameh P. Influenza Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Knowledge, Attitude and Practices among the Lebanese Adult Population. International journal of environmental research and public health 2015 Dec 5,;12(12):15486-15497.
  10. Salam M, Honein-AbouHaidar G. Determinants of influenza and COVID-19 vaccine intent or uptake in Lebanon: a scoping review of the literature. BMC infectious diseases 2023 Aug 6,;23(1):511.
  11. Wan-Arfah N, Norsa'adah B, Naing NN, Zaliha I, Azriani AR, Nik-Rosmawati NH, et al. Knowledge, attitudes and practices on influenza a (H1N1) among Kelantanese schoolchildren. Southeast Asian journal of tropical medicine and public health 2012 Nov 1,;43(6):1489-1501.
  12. Umbreen G, Rehman A, Avais M, Jabeen C, Sadiq S, Maqsood R, et al. Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Barriers Associated with Influenza Vaccination among Health Care Professionals Working at Tertiary Care Hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan: A Multicenter Analytical Cross-Sectional Study. Vaccines (Basel) 2023 Jan 6,;11(1):136.
  13. Zakhour R, Tamim H, Faytrouni F, Khoury J, Makki M, Charafeddine L. Knowledge, attitude and practice of influenza vaccination among Lebanese parents: A cross-sectional survey from a developing country. PloS one 2021 Oct 14,;16(10):e0258258.
  14. Cornelia Betsch, Philipp Schmid, Dorothee Heinemeier, Lars Korn, Cindy Holtmann, Robert Böhm. Beyond confidence: Development of a measure assessing the 5C psychological antecedents of vaccination. PLOS ONE 2018 Dec 7,;13(12):e0.
  15. Machida M, Nakamura I, Kojima T, Saito R, Nakaya T, Hanibuchi T, et al. Trends in COVID-19 vaccination intent from pre- to post-COVID-19 vaccine distribution and their associations with the 5C psychological antecedents of vaccination by sex and age in Japan. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics 2021 Nov 2,;17(11):3954-3962.
  16. Al-Sanafi M, Sallam M. Psychological Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among Healthcare Workers in Kuwait: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the 5C and Vaccine Conspiracy Beliefs Scales. Vaccines (Basel) 2021 Jun 25,;9(7):701.
  17. Kwok KO, Li K, WEI WI, Tang A, Wong SYS, Lee SS. Influenza vaccine uptake, COVID-19 vaccination intention and vaccine hesitancy among nurses: A survey. International journal of nursing studies 2021 Feb 1,;114:103854.
  18. Sallam M, Ghazy RM, Al-Salahat K, Al-Mahzoum K, AlHadidi NM, Eid H, et al. The Role of Psychological Factors and Vaccine Conspiracy Beliefs in Influenza Vaccine Hesitancy and Uptake among Jordanian Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Vaccines (Basel) 2022 Aug 1,;10(8):1355.
  19. MOPH. Influenza Surveillance Bulletin 16 January 2023. Ministry of Public Health, Lebanese Republic 2023 Jan 23,.
  20. Melki IS, Beydoun HA, Khogali M, Tamim H, Yunis KA. Household crowding index: a correlate of socioeconomic status and inter-pregnancy spacing in an urban setting. Journal of epidemiology and community health (1979) 2004 Jun 1,;58(6):476-480.
  21. Barry M, Temsah M, Aljamaan F, Saddik B, Al-Eyadhy A, Alenezi S, et al. COVID-19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers in the fourth country to authorize BNT162b2 during the first month of rollout. Vaccine 2021 Sep 24,;39(40):5762-5768.
  22. Sağlam M, Öncel S, Gündoğdu Z. Knowledge, Attitude, Perceptions, and Concerns of Pregnant Women Regarding the Influenza Vaccination in Kocaeli, Turkey. Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) 2022 Apr 2,;14(4):e23765.
  23. Alenazi KA. Parents’ knowledge, attitude and practice towards seasonal influenza vaccination in Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia. Journal of infection in developing countries 2022 Oct 31,;16(10):1623-1629.
  24. Galanis P, Vraka I, Siskou O, Konstantakopoulou O, Katsiroumpa A, Moisoglou I, et al. Cross-sectional assessment of predictors for COVID-19 vaccine uptake: an online survey in Greece. Vacunas 2022 Sep 1,;23:S60-S66.
  25. Wu J, Li Q, Silver Tarimo C, Wang M, Gu J, Wei W, et al. COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Chinese Population: A Large-Scale National Study. Frontiers in immunology 2021 Nov 29,;12:781161.
  26. Habib MA, Dayyab FM, Iliyasu G, Habib AG. Knowledge, attitude and practice survey of COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Nigeria. PloS one 2021 Jan 14,;16(1):e0245176.
  27. Alame M, Kaddoura M, Kharroubi S, Ezzeddine F, Hassan G, Diab El-Harakeh M, et al. Uptake rates, knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward seasonal influenza vaccination among healthcare workers in Lebanon. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics 2021 Nov 2,;17(11):4623-4631.
  28. Figueroa-Parra G, Esquivel-Valerio JA, Santoyo-Fexas L, Moreno-Salinas A, Gamboa-Alonso CM, De Leon-Ibarra AL, et al. Knowledge and attitudes about influenza vaccination in rheumatic diseases patients. Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics 2021 May 4,;17(5):1420-1425.
  29. Altman JD, Miner DS, Lee AA, Asay AE, Nielson BU, Rose AM, et al. Factors Affecting Vaccine Attitudes Influenced by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Vaccines (Basel) 2023 Feb 23,;11(3):516.
  30. Alenezi S, Alarabi M, Al-Eyadhy A, Aljamaan F, Elbarazi I, Saddik B, et al. Parental perceptions and the 5C psychological antecedents of COVID-19 vaccination during the first month of omicron variant surge: A large-scale cross-sectional survey in Saudi Arabia. Frontiers in pediatrics 2022 Aug 16,;10:944165.