Factors associated with the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines: A cross-sectional study among the students of Bishop Stuart University in South-western Uganda.

Abstract

Background:

Numerous vaccines against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were approved and distributed globally. However, little information was available on the factors that affect the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines in Uganda. The study aims to find out the Factors associated with the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among the Students of Bishop Stuart University, Mbarara City.

Methodology:

A cross-sectional study design using qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed. Data was collected from a sample of randomly selected 370 respondents from Bishop Stuart University. Qualitative and Quantitative data collection methods were employed. Data was collected between 11^th July and 3rd October 2022. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26 was used during the analysis.  Chi-square and logistic regressions were used to assess factors associated with the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. Factors with p-values <0.2 at bivariate analysis were entered into multivariate analysis. Factors with p<0.05 were considered significant.

Results:

Respondents that reported always being busy with domestic work indicated a lower likelihood for the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines (AOR = 0.6, 95%CI: 0.40-0.99, p = 0.045). Respondents who perceived that the costs in the hospital were too high to manage Covid-19 illness indicated a higher likelihood for uptake of Covid-19 vaccines (AOR = 3.4, 95%CI: 1.93-6.12, p <0.001).

Conclusion:

Domestic work has been found to hinder the majority of the respondents from vaccinating against Covid-19. High rates of the uptake of Covid-19 vaccines were registered among those who feared the high costs of Covid-19 illness management in hospitals. The cultural norms associated with being a male or female impacted the decision to take Covid-19 vaccines.

Recommendation:

Community outreaches should be organized to sensitize communities about the dangers of domestic work and how to strike a balance when it comes to daily activities. This will in return lead to high return rates for Covid-19 vaccination.