Attitudes of the Population Toward Vaccines During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The PROACTIVE Study.
Michela Calzolari, Mariarosaria Gammone, Daniela Cattani and 6 others
PMID 40183511WHAT IT FOUND
Among 411 Italian adults, people who worried more about catching COVID-19 also used more preventive measures.
Older age, female sex, and chronic disease were associated with higher risk perception and preventive behaviour.
Key findings
01People who reported greater worry about catching COVID-19 also reported using more preventive measures.
02Older age, female sex, and chronic disease were associated with higher risk perception and more preventive measures.
03People who had adhered to other vaccines in the past also reported using more preventive measures.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The authors state that the sample was not fully representative of the Italian general population. Participants were recruited from a vaccination hub and through personal contacts, and no response rate could be calculated. The survey measured attitudes and behaviour at one time, so it cannot show that worry caused preventive measures or that vaccine attitudes changed. The questionnaire relied on self-reported answers about past vaccine behaviour, preventive measures, and worry. No intervention was tested, so the study does not show that health education improves vaccination uptake.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest. Funding is not reported in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the associations as evidence that increasing worry or giving education causes vaccination or preventive behaviour. This was a cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample, so it cannot show cause.