Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and barrier to the uptake of influenza vaccine among pregnant women.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women visiting the Primary Care Centre, King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among pregnant women, comprising socio-demographic characteristics (i.e., age, education, work status, etc.), a 9-item questionnaire to assess knowledge, an 8-item questionnaire to measure attitude, and an 8-item questionnaire to evaluate barriers associated with the uptake of influenza vaccine.
Results: Of the 205 pregnant women, 46.8% were aged between 30 and 40 years old, and 61% were bachelor's degree holders. Results suggested that about one third (32.7%) had high knowledge and (32.7%) positive attitude levels; however, 95% had average to high levels of barriers toward uptake of the influenza vaccine. Pregnant women with higher education and those currently working were more likely to have a better understanding, but younger participants had a greater misconception of influenza vaccine uptake. Interestingly, significant positive correlations were found between knowledge, attitude, and barrier scores (p

Key words: Influenza vaccine, pregnant women, knowledge, attitude, barrier, Saudi Arabia.