COVID-19 Vaccination Knowledge, Attitudes, Perception, and Practices Among Frontline Healthcare Workers in Tunisia, 2024

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Healthcare workers (HCW) in primary care settings play a significant role in recommending vaccines to patients. We aimed to describe COVID-19 vaccination knowledge, attitudes, perception, and practices (KAPP) of HCWs in Tunisia and identify associated factors. <b>Methods</b>: We conducted a national cross-sectional survey (29 January to 3 February 2024) among HCWs in primary public healthcare centers using purposive sampling. Factors associated with good knowledge, positive attitude, and good practice, measured through Likert scales using face-to-face questionnaires, were identified using binary logistic regression. <b>Results</b>: We included 906 HCWs (mean age = 41.87 ± 8.89 years). In total, 37.75% (342/906) of HCWs had good knowledge and perception, 4.30% (39/906) had a positive attitude, and 24.9% (226/906) had good practices related to COVID-19 vaccination. Working in urban compared to rural areas was associated with good knowledge (aOR = 1.57, 95%CI = 1.12-2.21) and positive attitude (aOR = 4.94, 95%CI = 1.19-20.44) to COVID-19 vaccination. Physicians had better KAPP scores than other medical professionals. HCWs working in departments with high-risk patients were more likely to have good knowledge (aOR = 1.28, 95%CI = 1.00-1.72). Positive attitude was also associated with being male (aOR = 2.97, 95%CI = 1.75-5.07) and having at least one non-communicable disease (aOR = 1.92, 95%CI = 1.14-3.23). Being male (aOR = 1.97, 95%CI = 1.35-2.88) and having more years of professional experience (aOR = 1.81, 95%CI = 1.29-2.52) were associated with good practice. <b>Conclusions</b>: Just over a third of HCWs in primary healthcare clinics had good knowledge of COVID-19 vaccination, while positive attitudes and good practices were low. Targeted interventions, particularly for HCWs with less professional experience working in rural settings, are needed to increase good practices and improve COVID-19 vaccination coverage in Tunisia.

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Publication Details

Journal
Vaccines
Published
2026-01-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines14010074
Primary Topic
Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

COVID-19 Vaccination Knowledge, Attitudes, Perception, and Practices Among Frontline Healthcare Workers in Tunisia, 2024

Hajer Letaief, Eva Bazant, Rim Mhadhbi, N. Alaya et al.
Vaccines
Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy
article

COVID-19 Vaccination Knowledge, Attitudes, Perception, and Practices Among Frontline Healthcare Workers in Tunisia, 2024

Hajer Letaief, Eva Bazant, Rim Mhadhbi, N. Alaya, Asma Fourati, Asma Sahli, Katie Palmer, Aicha Hechaichi Hechaichi, Chelsey Griffin, Sami Fitouri, Ghaida Nahdi, Sonia Dhaouadi, Khouloud Talmoudi, Amenallah Zouaiti, Khouloud Nouira, Fatma Ben Youssef, Ihab Basha
article en

Abstract

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Healthcare workers (HCW) in primary care settings play a significant role in recommending vaccines to patients. We aimed to describe COVID-19 vaccination knowledge, attitudes, perception, and practices (KAPP) of HCWs in Tunisia and identify associated factors. <b>Methods</b>: We conducted a national cross-sectional survey (29 January to 3 February 2024) among HCWs in primary public healthcare centers using purposive sampling. Factors associated with good knowledge, positive attitude, and good practice, measured through Likert scales using face-to-face questionnaires, were identified using binary logistic regression. <b>Results</b>: We included 906 HCWs (mean age = 41.87 ± 8.89 years). In total, 37.75% (342/906) of HCWs had good knowledge and perception, 4.30% (39/906) had a positive attitude, and 24.9% (226/906) had good practices related to COVID-19 vaccination. Working in urban compared to rural areas was associated with good knowledge (aOR = 1.57, 95%CI = 1.12-2.21) and positive attitude (aOR = 4.94, 95%CI = 1.19-20.44) to COVID-19 vaccination. Physicians had better KAPP scores than other medical professionals. HCWs working in departments with high-risk patients were more likely to have good knowledge (aOR = 1.28, 95%CI = 1.00-1.72). Positive attitude was also associated with being male (aOR = 2.97, 95%CI = 1.75-5.07) and having at least one non-communicable disease (aOR = 1.92, 95%CI = 1.14-3.23). Being male (aOR = 1.97, 95%CI = 1.35-2.88) and having more years of professional experience (aOR = 1.81, 95%CI = 1.29-2.52) were associated with good practice. <b>Conclusions</b>: Just over a third of HCWs in primary healthcare clinics had good knowledge of COVID-19 vaccination, while positive attitudes and good practices were low. Targeted interventions, particularly for HCWs with less professional experience working in rural settings, are needed to increase good practices and improve COVID-19 vaccination coverage in Tunisia.

VaccinesVol. 14(1)
Tunis University (TN), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US), The Task Force for Global Health (US), National Institute of Meteorology (TN), Faculté de médecine de Tunis, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (SE), Tunis El Manar University (TN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 95%
Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy
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