TY - JOUR T1 - Evaluation of Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Perception of COVID-19 and Attitudes Toward COVID-19 Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional Study in Malatya TT - Evaluation of Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Perception of COVID-19 and Attitudes Toward COVID-19 Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional Study in Malatya AU - Arsal Yildirim, Serap AU - Baydemir, Canan AU - Pekey, Beyhan PY - 2025 DA - May Y2 - 2025 DO - 10.30934/kusbed.1521548 JF - Kocaeli Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi JO - KOU Sag Bil Derg PB - Kocaeli Üniversitesi WT - DergiPark SN - 2149-8571 SP - 45 EP - 52 VL - 11 IS - 2 LA - en AB - Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the demand for agricultural products due to measures like flexible working, online education, and lockdowns, which increased the workload for agricultural workers. This study examined seasonal agricultural workers in a village in Akçadağ, Malatya, focusing on their perception of COVID-19 and their attitudes toward vaccination.Methods: Conducted between July 1st-31st, 2022, and recruited seasonal agricultural workers. Participants completed the “COVID-19 Perception Scale” (with subscales for perceived danger and contagiousness) and the “Attitude Toward COVID-19 Vaccination Scale” (with subscales for positive and negative attitudes). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.Results: A total of 247 subjects participated. The mean perceived danger subscale score was 3.38±1.17, indicating high concern about COVID-19 risks. The perceived contagiousness subscale averaged 4.09±0.89, reflecting significant worry about the spread of COVID-19. Their attitudes towards vaccination were scored as 2.75±1.37 and 2.94±0.88 for positive and negative feelings, respectively. Despite positive attitudes, only 14.3% of participants were vaccinated, revealing a gap between attitude and action.Conclusion: Seasonal agricultural workers in Malatya showed high concern about the danger and contagiousness of COVID-19 and had a generally positive attitude toward vaccination. However, low vaccination rates indicate the need for targeted interventions to overcome barriers and promote vaccination among this group. KW - COVID-19 pandemic KW - seasonal agricultural worker KW - occupational health KW - epidemic disease. N2 - Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the demand for agricultural products due to measures like flexible working, online education, and lockdowns, which increased the workload for agricultural workers. This study examined seasonal agricultural workers in a village in Akçadağ, Malatya, focusing on their perception of COVID-19 and their attitudes toward vaccination.Methods: Conducted between July 1st-31st, 2022, and recruited seasonal agricultural workers. Participants completed the “COVID-19 Perception Scale” (with subscales for perceived danger and contagiousness) and the “Attitude Toward COVID-19 Vaccination Scale” (with subscales for positive and negative attitudes). Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.Results: A total of 247 subjects participated. The mean perceived danger subscale score was 3.38±1.17, indicating high concern about COVID-19 risks. The perceived contagiousness subscale averaged 4.09±0.89, reflecting significant worry about the spread of COVID-19. Their attitudes towards vaccination were scored as 2.75±1.37 and 2.94±0.88 for positive and negative feelings, respectively. Despite positive attitudes, only 14.3% of participants were vaccinated, revealing a gap between attitude and action.Conclusion: Seasonal agricultural workers in Malatya showed high concern about the danger and contagiousness of COVID-19 and had a generally positive attitude toward vaccination. However, low vaccination rates indicate the need for targeted interventions to overcome barriers and promote vaccination among this group. CR - Malone T, Schaefer KA, Wu F. The Razor’s Edge of Essential Labor in Food and Agriculture. AAEA. 2021; 43: 368–381. https://doi.org/10.1002/aepp CR - Lusk JL, Chandra R. Farmer And Farm Worker İllnesses And Deaths From COVID-19 And İmpacts on Agricultural Output. PLoS ONE. 2021; 16(4): e0250621. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250621 CR - Akalın M. Mevsimlik Tarım İşçilerinin Barınma Koşullarının Değerlendirilmesi: Yenice, Tarsus, Silifke örnekleri. Sosyal Güvence Dergisi. 2018; 7(13): 1-30. CR - Ağyar E, Atış M. 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