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Abstract
The
objective of this study is
to assess the knowledge and
practice of taking the annual
influenza
vaccine among adult diabetic
patients in BDF Hospital.
The study is a descriptive
cross-sectional hospital-based
study.
Three
hundred diabetic patients
who were eligible for the
study were interviewed, using
a structured questionnaire.
Results
of the survey indicated that
males and females included
are 48% to 52% respectively,
95.3% of the cohort were doing
follow up, but only 55.3%
were doing it regularly.
Although
65.3% are aware and have heard
about the flu vaccine only
10% have taken the flu vaccine
in the last 2 years. Only
27.3% were advised to take
the flu vaccine, 30% of the
study population know that
the vaccine helps reduce the
flu illness and 47.33% know
that it helps prevent seasonal
influenza.
From our study, it was found
that the main reason for not
taking the flu vaccine is
that they mainly did not know
about the vaccine which constituted
49.33% of the study population.
So,
knowledge and use are lower
than optimal compared to the
literature but here it is
the lowest, which may mostly
be due to reduced awareness
of the benefits of the vaccine
and vaccination. This will
most probably increase if
there are increased efforts
on advising direct contacts
with the patients in the diabetic
or other PHC clinics or through
the media, to have the seasonal
flu vaccine.
Keywords:
Influenza vaccine, diabetes
patients
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