Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) About Vaccines Among Students in the Health Sciences Faculties in Kuwait

<b>Background:</b> Vaccination remains one of the most effective public health interventions, yet hesitancy persists even among healthcare students who aid in promoting immunization. Understanding students' perspective plays a crucial role in designing targeted educational interventions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate knowledge, attitude, and practices of healthcare students (HSCs) in Kuwait about vaccines. <b>Methods:</b> A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted between August and October 2024. A validated 21-item questionnaire was used to assess vaccine-related knowledge, attitude, and practices, along with demographic data. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used to identify predictors of higher knowledge and positive attitude. <b>Results:</b> A total of 351 students participated (mean age 23.0 ± 2.4 years; 90.6% female). The mean knowledge score was 3.9/7 (55.7%), indicating moderate knowledge, with misconceptions noted regarding benefits of post-infection vaccination and extra vaccine doses. The mean attitude score was 3.6/6 (60%), indicating moderately positive attitude, yet safety concerns, particularly about long-term effect, were common (59.3%). Nearly half (45.9%) delayed vaccination until mandatory. Vaccine uptake was highest for COVID-19 (92.3%), followed by hepatitis B (73.8%). Older age, male gender, and being a medical student predicted higher knowledge (<i>p</i> = 0.011), while older age and being in later study years predicted more positive attitude (<i>p</i> = 0.032). <b>Conclusions:</b> HSCs demonstrated moderate knowledge and attitude toward vaccines, with significant hesitancy driven by safety concerns despite high eventual uptake. Early targeted curricular interventions addressing vaccine safety evidence, benefits of timely immunization, and professional responsibility are warranted to improve confidence and proactive vaccine acceptance among future healthcare professionals (HCPs).

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Journal
Vaccines
Published
2025-11-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13121193
Primary Topic
Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy
Type
article
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article

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) About Vaccines Among Students in the Health Sciences Faculties in Kuwait

Zahra Alsairafi, Ayazul Hasan, Ahmad Taqi, Abdallah Y. Naser et al.
Vaccines
Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy
article

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) About Vaccines Among Students in the Health Sciences Faculties in Kuwait

Zahra Alsairafi, Ayazul Hasan, Ahmad Taqi, Abdallah Y. Naser, Mazen Ali, Sara Alsarraf
article en

Abstract

<b>Background:</b> Vaccination remains one of the most effective public health interventions, yet hesitancy persists even among healthcare students who aid in promoting immunization. Understanding students' perspective plays a crucial role in designing targeted educational interventions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate knowledge, attitude, and practices of healthcare students (HSCs) in Kuwait about vaccines. <b>Methods:</b> A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted between August and October 2024. A validated 21-item questionnaire was used to assess vaccine-related knowledge, attitude, and practices, along with demographic data. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression were used to identify predictors of higher knowledge and positive attitude. <b>Results:</b> A total of 351 students participated (mean age 23.0 ± 2.4 years; 90.6% female). The mean knowledge score was 3.9/7 (55.7%), indicating moderate knowledge, with misconceptions noted regarding benefits of post-infection vaccination and extra vaccine doses. The mean attitude score was 3.6/6 (60%), indicating moderately positive attitude, yet safety concerns, particularly about long-term effect, were common (59.3%). Nearly half (45.9%) delayed vaccination until mandatory. Vaccine uptake was highest for COVID-19 (92.3%), followed by hepatitis B (73.8%). Older age, male gender, and being a medical student predicted higher knowledge (<i>p</i> = 0.011), while older age and being in later study years predicted more positive attitude (<i>p</i> = 0.032). <b>Conclusions:</b> HSCs demonstrated moderate knowledge and attitude toward vaccines, with significant hesitancy driven by safety concerns despite high eventual uptake. Early targeted curricular interventions addressing vaccine safety evidence, benefits of timely immunization, and professional responsibility are warranted to improve confidence and proactive vaccine acceptance among future healthcare professionals (HCPs).

VaccinesVol. 13(12)
Mubarak Al Kabeer Hospital (KW), Kuwait University (KW), Ministry of Health (KW), Isra University (JO)
Openalex Percentile: Top 55%
Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy
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