Factors associated with full COVID-19 vaccination among persons living with diabetes mellitus in Uganda-A cross-sectional study.

Publication date: Sep 05, 2024

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with severe outcomes of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), including death. COVID-19 vaccination is crucial for preventing infection and severe disease in the general population, but most importantly, among high-risk populations such as persons with DM. However, while COVID-19 vaccination uptake in the general population is regularly tracked, information on vaccination behavior specific to persons with DM is scarce. This study aimed to identify factors associated with the uptake of full COVID-19 vaccination among persons living with DM at Kiruddu National Referral Hospital (KRH). We employed a cross-sectional study design and administered a structured questionnaire on a systematically selected random sample of 340 people with DM attending Kiruddu National Referral Hospital from March 08 to May 25, 2023. We used a Modified Poisson Regression model to identify the factors associated with full COVID-19 vaccination and present adjusted prevalence ratios, along with their 95% confidence intervals. Full COVID-19 vaccination in this study was defined as having completed the last dose in the primary series of a COVID-19 vaccine. We administered the questionnaire to 340 participants, with 75% (255 of 340) being female. The mean age of the participants was 52 years (+/- 12 years) and their median duration with diabetes mellitus was 5 years (+/- 7. 3 years). Overall, 195 out of 340 participants (57. 35%, 95% CI: 52-63%) completed the last dose in the primary series of a COVID-19 vaccine. The likelihood of receiving full vaccination was higher when a health provider advised one to receive a vaccine (aPR = 1. 91, 95% CI: 1. 20-3. 02), when one reported having a comorbidity (aPR = 1. 26, 95% CI: 1. 06-1. 53), and when one had a strong perceived benefit of vaccination (aPR = 1. 76, 95% CI: 1. 23-2. 53). However, having a strong perceived barrier to vaccination was negatively associated with the likelihood of being fully vaccinated (aPR = 0. 71, 95% CI: 0. 60-0. 84). The uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among persons with DM at KRH is low, with only 57% having a full COVID-19 vaccination status. This underscores the progress in meeting the WHO recommendation of having a 100% COVID-19 vaccination uptake among people with underlying health conditions, including diabetes mellitus. At the policy level, the Ugandan Ministry of Health (MoH) may implement a provider-initiated vaccination strategy where healthcare providers who attend to DM patients during their routine clinic visits initiate the idea of vaccinating, sensitize, and spearhead myth-bursting around COVID-19 vaccines.

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Concepts Keywords
Death COVID-19
Diabetes Diabetes mellitus
Regularly Uganda
Ugandan Vaccination
Vaccination

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH COVID-19
disease MESH diabetes mellitus
pathway KEGG Coronavirus disease
disease MESH death
disease MESH infection
disease MESH comorbidity
disease MESH Long Covid
pathway REACTOME Reproduction
drug DRUGBANK Coenzyme M
drug DRUGBANK Stavudine
disease MESH complications
disease MESH obesity
drug DRUGBANK Vorinostat
drug DRUGBANK Ranitidine
drug DRUGBANK Pentaerythritol tetranitrate
drug DRUGBANK Hexocyclium
disease MESH educational level
disease MESH marital status
disease IDO susceptibility
disease MESH hypertension
disease MESH chronic illnesses
drug DRUGBANK Hydroxyethyl Starch
disease IDO country
drug DRUGBANK Trestolone
drug DRUGBANK Etoperidone
disease MESH Hyperglycemia
disease MESH Mucormycosis
disease MESH emergencies
drug DRUGBANK Delorazepam

Original Article

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