article · Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health
A cross-sectional survey evaluated COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and perceived barriers among 423 students at Debre Berhan University in northeast Ethiopia in January 2021. Data collected through semi-structured, self-administered questionnaires revealed that 69.3 percent of the surveyed students were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that higher knowledge levels, studying health sciences, and belonging to a family that actively practises COVID-19 prevention measures significantly increased the likelihood of vaccine acceptance. Despite the majority expressing willingness, notable barriers and factors contributing to hesitancy were identified across the student body. The findings highlight that targeted health education and clear public communication campaigns are essential to address these specific barriers and improve vaccine uptake in university environments where students live and study in close proximity.
University campuses bring large populations into close daily contact, making them high-risk environments for infectious disease transmission. Understanding the factors driving vaccine acceptance and hesitancy among students enables public health authorities and institutional leaders to design effective, evidence-based educational campaigns to increase immunisation coverage and protect campus communities during health emergencies.
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BACKGROUND: Universities are places where students live and study in close contact to each other. Nowadays, the foundations of this particular group have been affected significantly by the rapid spread of the coronavirus disease 2019. The severity of the COVID-19 pandemic has demanded the emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines. However, there is still limited evidence in COVID-19 vaccine acceptability and perceived barriers among some subgroups, including university students. This study aimed to assess vaccine acceptance, associated factors, and perceived barriers among university students, Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in January 2021 at Debre Berhan University among 423 students. The participants were selected using simple random sampling technique. A semi-structured, pretested, and self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Multivariable logistic-regression model was fitted to identify factors associated with vaccine acceptance. An adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval and its p-value of ≤0.05 was used to declare significant association. RESULTS: The proportion of the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was 69.3% (95% CI: 65, 74). Being knowledgeable (AOR: 2.43, CI: 1.57, 3.77), being a health science student (AOR: 2.25, CI: 1.43, 3.54), and being in a family practicing COVID-19 prevention (AOR: 1.73, CI: 1.06, 2.81) were found to be factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. CONCLUSION: Though, this study found a 69.3% acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine, there were noticeable perceived barriers and related factors in vaccine acceptance hesitancy. Thus, health education and communication regarding the vaccine are very crucial to alleviate the identified barriers.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.cegh.2021.100848
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