Psychological and situational factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine intention among postpartum women in Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives: Contributing factors to COVID-19 vaccination intention in low-income and middle-income countries have received little attention. This study examined COVID-19-related anxiety and obsessive thoughts and situational factors associated with Pakistani postpartum women's intention to get COVID-19 vaccination.

Design: Cross-sectional study administering a survey by a telephone interview format between 15 July and 10 September 2020.

Setting: Four centres of Aga Khan Hospital for Women and Children-Garden, Kharadar, Karimabad and Hyderabad-in Sindh Province, Pakistan.

Participants: Women who were enrolled in our longitudinal Pakistani cohort study were approached (n=1395), and 990 women (71%) participated in the survey, of which 941 women who were in their postpartum period were included in the final analysis.

Primary outcome measure and factors: COVID-19 vaccine intention, sociodemographic and COVID-19-related factors, Coronavirus anxiety, obsession with COVID-19 and work and social adjustment were assessed. Multiple multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with women's intentions.

Results: Most women would accept a COVID-19 vaccine for themselves (66.7%). Only 24.4% of women were undecided about vaccination against COVID-19, and a small number of women rejected the COVID-19 vaccine (8.8%). Women with primary education were less likely to take a COVID-19 vaccine willingly than those with higher education. COVID-19 vaccine uncertainty and refusal were predicted by having no experience of COVID-19 infection, childbirth during the pandemic, having no symptoms of Coronavirus anxiety and obsession with COVID-19. Predictors for women's intention to vaccinate themselves and their children against COVID-19 were similar.

Conclusion: Understanding the factors shaping women's intention to vaccinate themselves or their children would enable evidence-based strategies by healthcare providers to enhance the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine and achieve herd immunity against Coronavirus.

Keywords: COVID-19; anxiety disorders; depression & mood disorders; perinatology; public health.