Influenza and Pneumonia Knowledge Level and Vaccination Status of Pneumoconiosis Patients

Abstract

Aims: In pneumoconiosis, which is a chronic lung disease, frequent flu and pneumonia worsen the course of the disease. Therefore, it is important that patients have flu and pneumococcal vaccines. The study aims to measure the knowledge level of patients with pneumoconiosis about influenza and pneumonia and to determine their vaccination status. Methods: We reached 73 patients with pneumoconiosis and had them fill out a 19-question questionnaire that evaluated their information about influenza and pneumonia and their vaccination status. The study was designed as descriptive, cross-sectional. We also examined the sociodemographic, socio-economic characteristics and working conditions of the patients. Results: The mean age of 73 patients, one of whom was female, was 46.4±7.8 years. They started working life in middle adolescence. Most of them are primary school graduates and their income is not sufficient. One-third of the patients were hesitant about general vaccination. Some had not heard of the flu and pneumonia vaccine. Thirty-four patients (46.6%) said that they heard about the vaccines from the TV or the internet, not from the healthcare professionals. After the diagnosis of pneumoconiosis, influenza and pneumonia vaccination rates were very low (14 patients/19.2% and 16 patients/21.9%, respectively). One-third of the patients were unaware that pneumonia was a lung disease. When we asked, "Why haven't you been vaccinated against pneumonia?" the answer "I just got this information" came to the fore (39 patients/53.5%). Most patients (42/57 patients) who were not vaccinated against pneumonia after being diagnosed with pneumoconiosis were not aware that pneumonia could be prevented by vaccination (p