A hospital based cross-sectional analysis of knowledge, attitude and perception of vaccinations among adult patients with chronic respiratory diseases in Karnataka, South India

Background: Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRDs) are a significant global health burden. Respiratory viruses frequently exacerbate CRDs. Vaccination is crucial for preventing these exacerbations, yet adult immunization rates remain low due to lack of awareness and inadequate guidelines. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of adults with CRDs receiving adult vaccinations and to establish the independent predictors of insufficient knowledge as well as the knowledge, attitude and perception (KAP) with regards to adult vaccination. Methods: A total of 185 participants were recruited for a hospital-based cross-sectional study. Data collection was facilitated through the administration of a pre-tested, structured questionnaire. Subsequently, participant responses were assigned scores. Appropriate statistical tests were used for binomial and multivariable analysis. Results: The mean (±SD) age of study participants was 61.92 (±11.61) years. The prevalence of vaccination coverage (pneumococcal/influenza) among adults with CRDs was only 1.6 %. The median (IQR) KAP score among the study participants was 2.00 (1,4). The independent predictors of insufficient knowledge regarding adult vaccination were: (1) Age 61–80 years (AOR 21.98; 95 % CI 2.90–24.56) (2) Male gender (AOR 0.18; 95 % CI 0.02–0.96). The independent factors which had a negative impact on KAP scores were: (1) Age 41–60 years (B = −3.50; 95 % CI -4.79 to −2.20) (2) Age 61–80 years (B = −3.39; 95 % CI -4.63 to −2.14) (3) Age >80 years (B = −3.25; 95 % CI -5.07 to −1.42). Conclusion: Factors like older age and male gender predict insufficient knowledge and age itself was found to be a negative predictor of KAP scores in this study. This necessitates a policy shift towards integrated care models that prioritize comprehensive vaccination education among high-risk patients.