Alpu’da Erişkinlerin Aşı ve Bağışıklama Bilgi, Tutum ve Davranışları ile Sağlık Okuryazarlık Düzeylerinin Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the immunization knowledge sufficiency levels, attitudes and behaviors and health literacy levels of adults living in the district center of Alpu, Eskisehir. The study is a cross-sectional study conducted on individuals aged 18 years and over who live in the district center of Alpu between 16 November and 30 December 2018. The study group consisted of 955 participants who gave their verbal consent. The survey includes questions about the evaluation of immunization knowledge, attitudes and practices and the questions from the European Health Literacy Scale Short Form(HLS-EU-Q16). The statistical significance value was accepted as p≤0.05. 493 participants (51.62%) of the study group were female. Their ages ranged between 18 and 85 years with a mean±SD of 42.66±15.64 years. In the study, it was found that 325 people(34.03%) had insufficient knowledge of immunization. A positive weak correlation was found between the scores obtained from the information questions about immunization and the scores obtained from HLS-EU-Q16(r=0.252;p=0.001). It was found that there was a weak positive correlation between the scores obtained from information questions about immunization and the scores obtained from questions about their attitudes and practices towards immunization services(r=0.333;p=0.001). Being 65 years and older, living in the village having not been vaccinated in the last 10 years and lack of previous information about vaccines, were found to be important risk factors for lack of knowledge level on immunization. In the study, 34.03% of the participants in the group had insufficient knowledge of immunization. Determining the factors that affect the level of knowledge about immunization may be important in terms of sustaining the effectiveness of vaccination applications and campaigns. Health education and information services can be provided to increase the level of immunization knowledge.