Next Article in Journal
Using Digital Technology to Build COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence: A Qualitative Study among Latinx Parents of Children Aged 5–11 in Under-Resourced Communities across Los Angeles County
Next Article in Special Issue
Scale Development for COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy by Integration of Socio-Demographic and Psychological Factors
Previous Article in Journal
Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of COVID-19 Bivalent Vaccination
Previous Article in Special Issue
Views and Perceptions of People Aged 55+ on the Vaccination Programme for Older Adults in the UK: A Qualitative Study
 
 
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Attitudes and Beliefs towards Rotavirus Vaccination in a Sample of Italian Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

by
Giuseppe Di Martino
1,2,*,
Riccardo Mazzocca
3,
Laura Camplone
3,
Fabrizio Cedrone
4,
Pamela Di Giovanni
5 and
Tommaso Staniscia
1
1
Department of Medicine and Ageing Sciences, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
2
Unit of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, Local Health Authority of Pescara, 65100 Pescara, Italy
3
School of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, University of L’Aquila, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy
4
Hospital Management, Local Health Authority of Pescara, 65100 Pescara, Italy
5
Department of Pharmacy, “G. d’Annunzio” University of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Vaccines 2023, 11(6), 1041; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11061041
Submission received: 7 April 2023 / Revised: 15 May 2023 / Accepted: 25 May 2023 / Published: 30 May 2023

Abstract

(1) Background: Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrhea and dehydration in infants and young children worldwide. Despite the proven benefits of vaccination, vaccine hesitancy and refusal remains a significant barrier to achieving high vaccination coverage in many countries, such as Italy. (2) Methods: An online survey was conducted among women aged between 18 and 50 years from Abruzzo Region, Italy. The survey was composed of two main sections: demographic characteristics and attitudes and knowledge about rotavirus vaccination, based on a five-point Likert scale. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate factors associated with willingness to get the rotavirus vaccination. (3) Results: A total of 414 women were enrolled in the study. Women who were unaware of rotavirus more frequently had a lower education level (university degree 62.5% vs. 78.7%, p = 0.004) and reported having no children (p < 0.001). About half of the enrolled women thought that rotavirus infection is dangerous (190, 55.6%) and that rotavirus can cause a serious illness (201, 58.8%). Regarding associated factors, women informed by a physician were more likely get a vaccination compared to women informed by friends or relatives (OR 34.35, 95% CI 7.12–98.98, p < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: The present study showed low levels of knowledge and attitudes towards rotavirus vaccination. These results highlight the need for developing and improving additional public education programs for parents.
Keywords: rotavirus; vaccine; attitudes; public health; Italy rotavirus; vaccine; attitudes; public health; Italy

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Di Martino, G.; Mazzocca, R.; Camplone, L.; Cedrone, F.; Di Giovanni, P.; Staniscia, T. Attitudes and Beliefs towards Rotavirus Vaccination in a Sample of Italian Women: A Cross-Sectional Study. Vaccines 2023, 11, 1041. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11061041

AMA Style

Di Martino G, Mazzocca R, Camplone L, Cedrone F, Di Giovanni P, Staniscia T. Attitudes and Beliefs towards Rotavirus Vaccination in a Sample of Italian Women: A Cross-Sectional Study. Vaccines. 2023; 11(6):1041. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11061041

Chicago/Turabian Style

Di Martino, Giuseppe, Riccardo Mazzocca, Laura Camplone, Fabrizio Cedrone, Pamela Di Giovanni, and Tommaso Staniscia. 2023. "Attitudes and Beliefs towards Rotavirus Vaccination in a Sample of Italian Women: A Cross-Sectional Study" Vaccines 11, no. 6: 1041. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11061041

APA Style

Di Martino, G., Mazzocca, R., Camplone, L., Cedrone, F., Di Giovanni, P., & Staniscia, T. (2023). Attitudes and Beliefs towards Rotavirus Vaccination in a Sample of Italian Women: A Cross-Sectional Study. Vaccines, 11(6), 1041. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11061041

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop