Table 2.
Participants’ knowledge and perceptions of influenza A/H1N1 and its vaccine
| Variables | No (%) of participants (n=301) |
|---|---|
| Knowledge on modes of transmission | |
| Correct knowledge about modes of transmission: | |
| Could be transmitted via droplets (for example, sneezing) | 291 (97) |
| Could be transmitted via touching body of infected person | 203 (67) |
| Could be transmitted via touching contaminated objects | 196 (65) |
| All above items are correct: | |
| No | 148 (49) |
| Yes | 153 (51) |
| Perceptions related to severity of influenza A/H1N1 | |
| Fatality rate for adults: | |
| <1% | 181 (60) |
| 1-5% | 67 (22) |
| >5% | 23 (8) |
| Don’t know | 30 (10) |
| Would cause severe and irreversible damage to body of adults: | |
| Disagree | 232 (77) |
| Agree | 41 (14) |
| Don’t know | 28 (9) |
| No of deaths in Hong Kong in coming year: | |
| None | 87 (30) |
| 1-10 | 162 (57) |
| 11-50 | 32 (11) |
| >50 | 5 (2) |
| No of hidden cases in community: | |
| Very few | 56 (19) |
| A few | 121 (41) |
| Quite a lot or many | 118 (40) |
| Chance of having large scale local outbreak of influenza A/H1N1 in coming year: | |
| Unlikely, most unlikely, certainly not, unsure | 218 (72) |
| Certainly, most likely, likely | 83 (28) |
| Risk perception | |
| High or very high chance of contracting influenza A/H1N1 in coming year: | |
| Participant | 31 (10) |
| Family members | 30 (10) |
| General public | 35 (12) |
| Comparisons of influenza A/H1N1 to seasonal influenza | |
| Fatality rate: | |
| Much lower, a little lower, or same | 190 (64) |
| A bit higher or much higher | 108 (36) |
| Transmission rate: | |
| Much lower, a little lower, same | 173 (58) |
| A bit higher or much higher | 126 (42) |
| Severity of damage to body: | |
| Much lower, a little lower, same | 196 (67) |
| A bit higher or much higher | 95 (33) |
| Perceptions related to influenza A/H1N1 vaccine | |
| Vaccination is inconvenient: | |
| Disagree, strongly disagree, unsure | 219 (73) |
| Agree or strongly agree | 81 (27) |
| Vaccine is effective for prevention of influenza A/H1N1: | |
| Disagree, strongly disagree, or unsure | 183 (61) |
| Agree or strongly agree | 117 (39) |
| Efficacy of present A/H1N1 vaccine has been confirmed by clinical trials: | |
| No | 44 (15) |
| Yes | 189 (63) |
| Don’t know | 67 (22) |
| Perceived side effects: | |
| None or a few | 162 (54) |
| Quite a lot or severe | 49 (16) |
| Don’t know | 88 (29) |
| Vaccination against influenza A/H1N1 should be universal in Hong Kong: | |
| Completely not necessary | 95 (32) |
| Not quite necessary | 146 (49) |
| Quite necessary or highly necessary | 49 (16) |
| Don’t know or unsure | 11 (4) |