Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Publication Date
1-16-2024
Journal
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Abstract
COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy has been recommended, but the perceptions related to uptake remain unexplored. This pilot study aimed to explore how perceptions influence COVID-19 vaccine uptake among a sample of 115 pregnant women in Kenya, recruited via WhatsApp. Data were collected using an adapted online questionnaire between May and October 2022. Logistic analyses assessed the relationship between COVID-19 vaccination uptake and the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) constructs: attitudes and subjective norms. COVID-19 vaccination coverage was 73%, with vaccine hesitancy estimated at 41.4% among the unvaccinated group. Most participants had completed college education and had good knowledge of COVID-19 vaccines. There was no significant effect of enrollment in WhatsApp pregnancy groups on attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination. Pregnant women were concerned about vaccine effectiveness (31.1%), and almost one-half (47.3%) were discouraged from receiving COVID-19 vaccines. Positive attitudes towards vaccination were associated with COVID-19 vaccination (aOR 2.81; 95% CI 1.12-7.04;
Keywords
Pregnancy, Humans, Female, COVID-19 Vaccines, Kenya, Pilot Projects, Cross-Sectional Studies, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Pregnant People, COVID-19, Vaccination, COVID-19 vaccination coverage, pregnancy, maternal health, vaccine hesitancy, WhatsApp, Kenya
DOI
10.3390/ijerph21010098
PMID
38248561
PMCID
PMC10815556
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
1-16-2024
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Published Open-Access
yes