The perception and attitude of Turkish ophthalmologists related to the COVID-19 pandemic

Year 2023, Volume: 6 Issue: 1, 99 - 105, 12.01.2023

Eren Ekici , Mehmet Çıtırık

https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1205177

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the level of perceptions and attitudes regarding COVID-19 among Turkish ophthalmologists in a tertiary eye care referral center.
Material and Method: A cross-sectional survey-based study including the sociodemographic form in addition to 52 multiple-choice questions was conducted in March 2021. The questions were to assess the perception of three concepts separately: The disease, the causes of COVID-19, and the control of COVID-19. Along with this, it also included questions to evaluate the attitudes of avoidance of COVID-19 and attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine.
Results: A total of 43 (15 males and 28 females) ophthalmologists completed the online survey. The perception of dangerousness and contagiousness was strong among ophthalmologists. The scores in the sub-dimensions of the perception of the causes of COVID-19 presented a moderate level. Statistically significant differences revealed between as follows: resident physicians and faculty in Macro Control (p=0.02), Controllability (p=0.38), and perception of the control of COVID-19 (p=0.022); males and females (p=0.009) along with resident physicians and faculty (p=0.023) in the behavioral avoidance attitudes from COVID-19; resident physicians and faculty in attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine (p=0.034).
Conclusion: COVID-19 was perceived as dangerous and contagious among ophthalmologists. The perception of the control of COVID-19 was stronger among faculty than resident physicians. Females and faculty developed higher behavioral avoidance attitudes from COVID-19. Faculty exhibited less negative attitudes than resident physicians towards the COVID-19 vaccine. These assessments could shed light on our path in combating the disease, both in the COVID-19 pandemic and in future outbreaks.

Keywords

Attitude, COVID-19, ophthalmologists, pandemic, perception

References

• Zhu N, Zhang D, Wang W, et al. A Novel Coronavirus from Patients with Pneumonia in China. N Engl J Med. 2020; 382: 727-33.
• Lin C-F. COVID-19 and the Institutional Resilience of the IHR (2005): Time for a Dispute Settlement Redesign? Contemp Asia Arb J 2020; 13: 269.
• Anderson RM, Heesterbeek H, Klinkenberg D, Hollingsworth TD. How will country-based mitigation measures influence the course of the COVID-19 epidemic? The Lancet 2020; 395: 931-4.
• Chang D, Xu H, Rebaza A, Sharma L, Dela Cruz CS. Protecting health-care workers from subclinical coronavirus infection. Lancet Respir Med 2020; 8: e13.
• Kuo IC, O'Brien TP. COVID-19 and ophthalmology: an underappreciated occupational hazard. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2020; 41: 1207-8.
• Geniş B, Gürhan N, Koç M, et al. Development of perception and attitude scales related with COVID-19 pandemia. Pearson J Soc Sci Human 2020; 5: 306-28.
• Zhong Y, Liu W, Lee T-Y, Zhao H, Ji J. Risk perception, knowledge, information sources and emotional states among COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China. Nurs Outlook 2021; 69:13-21.
• Albott CS, Wozniak JR, McGlinch BP, Wall MH, Gold BS, Vinogradov S. Battle buddies: Rapid deployment of a psychological resilience intervention for health care workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Anesth and Analg 2020; 131: 43-54.
• Georgiou N, Delfabbro P, Balzan R. Conspiracy beliefs in the general population: The importance of psychopathology, cognitive style and educational attainment. Pers Individ Dif 2019; 151: 109521.
• Georgiou N, Delfabbro P, Balzan R. COVID-19-related conspiracy beliefs and their relationship with perceived stress and pre-existing conspiracy beliefs. Pers Individ Dif 2020; 166: 110201.
• Fattorini D, Regoli F. Role of the chronic air pollution levels in the Covid-19 outbreak risk in Italy. Environ Pollut 2020; 264: 114732.
• Wang P, Chen K, Zhu S, Wang P, Zhang H. Severe air pollution events not avoided by reduced anthropogenic activities during COVID-19 outbreak. Resour Conserv Recycl 2020; 158: 104814.
• Saadat S, Rawtani D, Hussain CM. Environmental perspective of COVID-19. Sci Total Environ 2020; 728: 138870.
• Kowalczyk O, Roszkowski K, Montane X, Pawliszak W, Tylkowski B, Bajek A. Religion and Faith Perception in a Pandemic of COVID-19. J Relig Health. 2020; 59: 2671-7.
• Naro W, Abubakar A, Syatar A, Amiruddin MM, Pallawagau B. Have Attitudes towards Religiousness Shifted Due Covid 19 Outbreak? Evidence from Moslem Generations in Makassar-Indonesia. PalArch's J Archaeol Egypt/ Egyptol 2021; 18: 322-34.
• Li J-B, Yang A, Dou K, Wang L-X, Zhang M-C, Lin X-Q. Chinese public’s knowledge, perceived severity, and perceived controllability of COVID-19 and their associations with emotional and behavioural reactions, social participation, and precautionary behaviour: A national survey. BMC Public Health 2020; 20: 1-14.
• Yıldırım M, Özaslan A. Worry, severity, controllability, and preventive behaviours of COVID-19 and their associations with mental health of Turkish healthcare workers working at a pandemic hospital. Int J Ment Health Addict 2021:1-15.
• Sobkow A, Zaleskiewicz T, Petrova D, Garcia-Retamero R, Traczyk J. Worry, Risk Perception, and Controllability Predict Intentions Toward COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors. Front Psychol 2020; 11: 582720.
• Elbay RY, Kurtulmuş A, Arpacıoğlu S, Karadere E. Depression, anxiety, stress levels of physicians and associated factors in Covid-19 pandemics. Psychiatry Res 2020; 290: 113130
• Dodd RH, Cvejic E, Bonner C, Pickles K, McCaffery KJ, Sydney Health Literacy Lab C-g. Willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19 in Australia. Lancet Infect Dis 2021; 21: 318-9.
• Kourlaba G, Kourkouni E, Maistreli S, et al. Willingness of Greek general population to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Glob Health Res Policy 2021; 6: 3.
• Yurttas B, Poyraz BC, Sut N, et al. Willingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine among patients with rheumatic diseases, healthcare workers and general population in Turkey: a web-based survey. Rheumatol Int 2021;41: 1105-14.
• Montano DE, Kasprzyk D. Theory of reasoned action, theory of planned behavior, and the integrated behavioral model. Heal Behav Heal Educ, Res Pract 2015; 70: 231.