tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM
. 2022 Aug 2;100704.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2022.100704. Online ahead of print.
COVID Vaccine Information Sources Utilized by Female Healthcare Workers
Ms Rachel Paul[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Nandini Raghuraman[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ebony B Carter[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Anthony O Odibo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jeannie C Kelly[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Megan E Foeller[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Marta J Perez[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Clinical trials of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines excluded individuals with active reproductive needs (attempting to conceive, currently pregnant, and/or lactating). Women comprise three-quarters of healthcare workers in the United States, an occupational field among the first to receive the vaccine. Professional medical and government organizations encouraged shared decision-making and access to vaccination among those with active reproductive needs.
Objective: To characterize information sources used by pregnancy-capable healthcare workers for information about the COVID-19 vaccines, and to compare the self-reported "most important" source by respondents' active reproductive needs, if any.
Study design: This was a web-based national survey of female, US-based healthcare workers in January 2021. Recruitment was conducted using social media and subsequent sharing via word of mouth. We classified respondents into six groups based on self-reported reproductive needs: 1) preventing pregnancy, 2) attempting pregnancy, 3) currently pregnant, 4) lactating, 5) attempting pregnancy and lactating, and 6) currently pregnant and lactating. We provided respondents with a list of information sources (friends, family, OB-GYN, pediatrician, news, social media, government organizations, their employer, and "other") and asked respondents which source(s) they used when looking for information about the vaccine, and their most important source. We used descriptive statistics to characterize the information sources and compared the endorsement of government organizations and OB-GYN as the most important information source between reproductive groups using chi-square. Effect size was calculated using Cramer's V.
Results: Our survey had 11,405 unique respondents: 5,846 (51.3%) were preventing pregnancy, 955 (8.4%) were attempting pregnancy, 2,196 (19.3%) were currently pregnant, 2,250 (19.7%) were lactating, 67 (0.6%) were attempting pregnancy and lactating, and 91 (0.8%) were currently pregnant and lactating. The most endorsed information sources were government organizations (88.7%), employers (48.5%), OB-GYN (44.9%), and social media (39.6%). For the most important information source, the distribution of respondents endorsing government organizations was different between reproductive groups (p<0.001), most common among respondents preventing pregnancy (62.6%) and least common among those currently pregnant (31.5%). We observed an inverse pattern among respondents endorsing an OB-GYN as the most important source: the source was most common among currently pregnant respondents (51.4%) and least common among those preventing pregnancy (5.8%), p<0.001. The difference in endorsement of social media as an information source between groups was significant but had a small effect size.
Conclusions: Healthcare workers use government and professional medical organizations for information. Respondents attempting pregnancy, pregnant, and/or lactating are more likely to use social media and an OB-GYN as information sources for vaccine decision-making. This data can inform public health messaging and counseling for clinicians.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus; immunization; immunization in pregnancy; information sources; social media; vaccine campaign; vaccine information.
. 2022 Aug 2;100704.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2022.100704. Online ahead of print.
COVID Vaccine Information Sources Utilized by Female Healthcare Workers
Ms Rachel Paul[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Nandini Raghuraman[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Ebony B Carter[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Anthony O Odibo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jeannie C Kelly[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Megan E Foeller[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Marta J Perez[SUP] 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35931368
- PMCID: PMC9345656
- DOI: 10.1016/j.ajogmf.2022.100704
Abstract
Background: Clinical trials of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines excluded individuals with active reproductive needs (attempting to conceive, currently pregnant, and/or lactating). Women comprise three-quarters of healthcare workers in the United States, an occupational field among the first to receive the vaccine. Professional medical and government organizations encouraged shared decision-making and access to vaccination among those with active reproductive needs.
Objective: To characterize information sources used by pregnancy-capable healthcare workers for information about the COVID-19 vaccines, and to compare the self-reported "most important" source by respondents' active reproductive needs, if any.
Study design: This was a web-based national survey of female, US-based healthcare workers in January 2021. Recruitment was conducted using social media and subsequent sharing via word of mouth. We classified respondents into six groups based on self-reported reproductive needs: 1) preventing pregnancy, 2) attempting pregnancy, 3) currently pregnant, 4) lactating, 5) attempting pregnancy and lactating, and 6) currently pregnant and lactating. We provided respondents with a list of information sources (friends, family, OB-GYN, pediatrician, news, social media, government organizations, their employer, and "other") and asked respondents which source(s) they used when looking for information about the vaccine, and their most important source. We used descriptive statistics to characterize the information sources and compared the endorsement of government organizations and OB-GYN as the most important information source between reproductive groups using chi-square. Effect size was calculated using Cramer's V.
Results: Our survey had 11,405 unique respondents: 5,846 (51.3%) were preventing pregnancy, 955 (8.4%) were attempting pregnancy, 2,196 (19.3%) were currently pregnant, 2,250 (19.7%) were lactating, 67 (0.6%) were attempting pregnancy and lactating, and 91 (0.8%) were currently pregnant and lactating. The most endorsed information sources were government organizations (88.7%), employers (48.5%), OB-GYN (44.9%), and social media (39.6%). For the most important information source, the distribution of respondents endorsing government organizations was different between reproductive groups (p<0.001), most common among respondents preventing pregnancy (62.6%) and least common among those currently pregnant (31.5%). We observed an inverse pattern among respondents endorsing an OB-GYN as the most important source: the source was most common among currently pregnant respondents (51.4%) and least common among those preventing pregnancy (5.8%), p<0.001. The difference in endorsement of social media as an information source between groups was significant but had a small effect size.
Conclusions: Healthcare workers use government and professional medical organizations for information. Respondents attempting pregnancy, pregnant, and/or lactating are more likely to use social media and an OB-GYN as information sources for vaccine decision-making. This data can inform public health messaging and counseling for clinicians.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus; immunization; immunization in pregnancy; information sources; social media; vaccine campaign; vaccine information.