Vaccine Information Seeking Behavior Among Pregnant Women in Khartoum State, Sudan: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study

"Vaccine information-seeking behavior has been studied extensively in high-income countries. However, there is a dearth of research from low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) including Sudan."

Health awareness is the first step in the process of promoting healthy behaviour. This study explores vaccine information-seeking behaviour and its determinants among pregnant women in Khartoum state, Sudan. The scarcity of official trusted sources for vaccine information there led to the development of the Tat3im Initiative website (Tat3im means immunisation in the Arabic language), which aims to increase the awareness and literacy of vaccines, immunisation, and vaccine-preventable diseases. The findings from this study will be used to inform further development of policies and additional interventions in Sudan to increase vaccine acceptance and demand.

The hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted with 350 pregnant women in two public hospitals in Omdurman, Khartoum state, from February to April 2020. Among interviewees, 35.7% had searched for information about vaccines. The majority searched for this information before pregnancy and during pregnancy (34.4 and 59.2%, respectively). They primarily searched for topics related to vaccine schedules and vaccine side effects (28.8% for each). The main sources of vaccine-related information consumed by pregnant women were healthcare professionals, particularly doctors (40%), and the internet (20.8%).

Findings showed that a high level of education was associated with a greater likelihood of searching for additional vaccine information. Moreover, those who perceived their family to have a high income were more likely to search for information. In addition, pregnant women with low confidence in vaccines (measured by the Vaccine Confidence Index - VCI) were more likely to be involved in searching for additional vaccine information. This latter finding is supported by studies suggesting that low satisfaction and lack of trust in vaccine information provided by healthcare professionals might motivate people to search for additional information. This finding highlights the need for high-quality, easily accessible information that addresses pregnant women's information needs.

In conclusion, the researchers recommend the development of client-centred communication interventions to help increase vaccine confidence and consequently vaccine acceptance and demand in Sudan.