Journal of health research in community

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Introduction and purpose: A new species of the new beta-coronavirus family has recently been found in Wuhan, China (nCoV-2019). This virus can cause a variety of serious respiratory illnesses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome. Therefore, due to the relationship of nutrition with the immune and respiratory systems, the present review study was designed with the aim of collecting evidence on the role of nutritional care in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
Methods: The Persian and English articles that were related to the subject of interest and published up to 2020 were searched in such databases as PubMed and Google Scholar. The search was performed using the following keywords: “Coronavirus”, “Nutrition”, “Supplement”, and “Influenza”.
Results: According to the reviewed studies, the main transmission route of coronavirus is the person-to-person transmission. Therefore, frequent hand washing, maintaining social distance, and observing personal hygiene play an important role in preventing the disease. Due to the role of nutrition in the prevention of infections and the relationship of vitamin and salt deficiency with the exacerbation of respiratory diseases, all patients are recommended to consume a variety of fruits and vegetables. The use of lukewarm liquids to dilute respiratory secretions and a healthy balanced diet, including all major food groups, are measures of significant importance in these patients. People with nutritional deficiencies are recommended to use supplements. However, there are contradictory findings in this regard for all patients.
Conclusion: To improve the immune system, it is recommended to cook the protein foods thoroughly and avoid using unpackaged foods. With regard to the fruits and vegetables, it is better to use the fruits and vegetables that can be peeled. Considering the relationship between malnutrition and the spread of infectious diseases, it is suggested to receive sufficient macronutrients, proteins, useful fats, and omega-3 sources, as well as fruits and vegetables as the main sources of vitamins.
 

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Introduction and purpose: One of the important missions of nursing education is the mental health of nursing students who play an important role in promoting the health of the community. It is necessary to maintain nursing students' mental health due to their prominent role in providing health services during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the mental health status of nursing students in the School of Nursing, Islamic Azad University, Sari Branch, Sari Iran, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: This analytical study was conducted based on a descriptive cross-sectional method using the census method on all nursing students of Islamic Azad University, Sari Branch. Data collection tools were a demographic form and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire.  
Results: Totally, 278 participants completed the study, among which 70 (25.2%) participants worked in the COVID-19 hospitals and 208 (74.8%) participants did not work. The highest and lowest mean scores of mental health were related to the first-year and sixth-semester students (5±3.10 and 3.7±2.51), respectively. Moreover, the mean of mental health was significantly higher in participants who had contact with COVID-19 patients than others, indicating poor mental health among them  (P<0.05).
Conclusion: According to the findings, it is necessary to pay attention to the mental health of nursing students during the corona pandemic; in this respect, it is suggested to have an effective role in the improvement of mental health of nursing students by holding mental health workshops, changing the conditions of educational environments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and providing counseling.
 

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Introduction and purpose: COVID-19 epidemic emerged with the advent of the new SRAS-CoV-2 coronavirus in December 2019 in China. The risks of COVID-19 have increased due to overcrowding and poor preparedness in prisons, So that many Prisons now reporting high rates of infection and transmission among prisoners. Therefore, considering the importance of the subject, the purpose of this study is to review the transmission and prevention of COVID-19 in prisons.
Methods: The present study was a narrative review. articles by searching all articles published between 2020 to June 12, 2021 in the databases of Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed and Google scholar, using keywords such as Covid-19،Prevalence، Prison، Penitentiary ،hygiene and Personal hygiene, Transmission and Prevention.  
Results: The risk of infection and transmission of coronavirus is higher in places, such as prisons due to high population density and limited access to health facilities. The most important principles of prevention include the observation of personal hygiene through the frequent washing of hands using soap and water and the use of alcoholic disinfectants as well as face masks. Moreover, the prison environment should be disinfected regularly and frequently to reduce the spread of infectious diseases.
Conclusion: Although it is not entirely possible to maintain social distance to reduce the rate of disease transmission in prisons, overcrowding can be reduced in some situations by more careful planning. Despite the importance of these cases, the most effective way to prevent the spread of this disease in prisons is to reduce the prison population.

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Introduction and purpose: The widespread prevalence of COVID-19 has led to an unprecedented effort to find effective treatments which have increased clinical trial studies. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the characteristics of Iranian Covid-19 clinical trial studies.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study. The data relating to Iranian Covid-19 clinical trials were extracted from the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) in February 2020 and transferred to an Excell Microsoft Office software. The descriptive statistical data were presented as frequency and percentages to describe the key characteristics of the extracted clinical trials.  
Results: At the time of data collection, 491 clinical trials associated with COVID-19 have been recorded in IRCT, 91.65% of which were supported by governmental organizations. An examination of the data indicated that the method of allocation in 83.09% and 86.67% of clinical trials has been randomized assignment and parallel assignment, respectively. In addition, the placebo has been used in 69.65% of clinical trials. It is worth mentioning that blinding was not carried out in 50.1% of these studies. Based on the findings, 81.67% of the clinical trials have been conducted for the purpose of treatment, and drug treatment accounted for 70.47% of the intervention employed in these clinical trials.
Conclusion: The results of this study provided a summary of the status and characteristics of COVID-19 clinical trials recorded in IRCT. Regarding the fact that the majority of these studies are supported by governmental organizations, it is recommended that financial resources of private pharmaceutical companies should be used under the supervision and approval of the Food and Drug Administration as a support for these clinical trials.
 

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Introduction and purpose: The prevalence of COVID-19 disease has led to many mental disorders, including hypochondriasis. This study aimed to investigate the hypochondriasis caused by COVID-19 disease and its related factors among the staff of an oil refinery located in the south of Iran.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the study sample included workers with different occupations in an oil refinery. Subjects were selected through a random sampling approach based on the inclusion criteria. The instruments used in this study included a demographic questionnaire, a researcher-made questionnaire, and Evans Questionnaire. Questionnaires and instructions were provided to the workers through social media networks. In total, 78 percent of the questionnaires were completed correctly and returned to the research team. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (Version 22)  through descriptive tests, analysis of variances (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation coefficient.
Results: Based on the obtained results, 186 out of 275 cases obtained a score from 1 to 20 and were included in the group of healthy individuals. In addition, 89 cases showed mild to severe symptoms of hypochondriasis. The results of the one-way ANOVA analysis indicated that the hypochondriasis score was significantly different in different groups of variables of age, jobs experiences, the application of protective means, history of COVID-19, and attention to preventive measures (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The condition of the workplace has a significant relationship with the prevalence of hypochondriasis symptoms caused by COVID-19. Therefore, the improvement of the workplace environment can increase the probability of compliance with health protocols and reduce the rate of hypochondriasis among the staff.

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Introduction and purpose: With the outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent changes, such as the closure of high-risk jobs, creation of emergency levels of public health, and home quarantine, the mental health of people, was severely affected. In this regard, the present study aimed to assess the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 in Kerman. The study sample consisted of 500 cases who were selected via the available sampling method. Due to the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, data was collected through online questionnaires shared on WhatsApp and Telegram (including the general population living in different parts of Kerman. To assess mental health, the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12)  was used, the validity and reliability of which have been confirmed in various studies (Cronbach's alpha of 0.8). Factors affecting mental health status included demographic information (including age, gender, education, occupation, marital status, and income) and questions about media use status. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS software (Version 23) using independent t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and logistic regression.
Results: The mean age of the subjects was reported as 34.94 years, and 58.6% of the subjects did not have good mental health status. Moreover, 88.8 % of participants followed COVID-19 news through social media. The results of one-way ANOVA indicated that mental health scores were different in different groups of age, education, occupation, and income (P<0.05). Furthermore, in logistic regression analysis, the factors affecting mental health, education, and life satisfaction were significant, indicating a better mental health chance in people with higher-level education and higher life satisfaction (P<0.05).
Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with an increased risk of mental health problems. Therefore, it is suggested to develop mental health support programs and psychological interventions.

 

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Introduction and purpose: The identification of barriers and concerns regarding the acceptance of the Covid-19 vaccine is of paramount importance. Accordingly, this systematic review was conducted to determine the factors affecting the acceptance and non-acceptance of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Methods: This systematic review was performed in accordance with the principles of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The data were retrieved from PubMed, WOS, and Scopus in May  2021. The inclusion criteria entailed: 1- All original articles published on the reasons for acceptance or non-acceptance of the Covid-19 vaccine and 2- English language articles. On the other hand, the exclusion criteria were as follows: 1- Overlap of some articles in several databases, 2- The non-original articles, such as review articles or letters to editors, 3- unrelatedness to the objectives of the study, and 4- Lack of access to the full text of the articles.
Results: The query yielded a total of 442 articles. After removing duplicates, as well as screening and qualitative evaluation of articles, 75 articles were finally selected for review in this study. Based on the obtained results, gender in individual factors, trust in governments, hospitals in social factors, and concerns about vaccine side effects among vaccine-related factors played the most important roles in accepting and rejecting the vaccination.
Conclusion: Removing barriers to vaccination based on individual, social, and vaccine factors, as well as informing people about its benefits should be a priority for health organizations and institutions. Consequently,  education and information campaigns on vaccination outcomes should be established at the community level to address individual and social concerns, as well as vaccine-related concerns.

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Introduction and purpose: The epidemiological identification of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) helps health policymakers to make appropriate decisions, which in return, contributes to controlling the epidemic. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of this disease in areas of high population density in Zahedan, southeastern Iran.
Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study (descriptive-analytical) was performed on 230 people working and living in densely populated areas of Zahedan from May to June 2020. Data were collected based on a researcher-made questionnaire and the results of the RT-PCR test using throat and nasal swabs from the upper respiratory tract. The collected data were analyzed in SPSS-v16 software.
Results: Based on the results, out of 230 participants in the study, 186 (80.9%) were male and 44 (19.1%) were female. The mean age of the subjects was obtained at 36.36 12±12.36 years. Less than 50% of people used personal protective equipment (e.g., masks, gloves, disinfectant solution). The prevalence of COVID-19 was 4.3% in this study and had a statistically significant relationship with such symptoms as fever and chills, headache, nausea, exhaustion, and loss of sense of smell (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The prevalence of the disease was not high in these areas, and because the disease is highly contagious, health politicians must take special decisions and measures to prevent its spread.
 

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Introduction and purpose: The World Health Organization considers preventive behaviors, which are influenced by several factors, the most important factor in breaking the COVID-19 transmission chain. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the predictors of COVID-19 preventive behaviors based on an extended pattern of health beliefs in adults.
Methods: The present study is a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study performed on 900 adults. The sample was selected through convenience sampling from the statistical population of Salamooz website users. In this study, information was collected using a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of four sections (demographic characteristics, health belief model constructs, perceived social support, and COVID-19 preventive behaviors) and statistically analyzed using the SPSS software (version 24).
Results: Among the studied variables, age (P<0.001, B=0.04), sex (P<0.001, B=1.33), history of COVID-19 (P=0.001, B=-0.75), perceived sensitivity (P=0.007, B=0.13), perceived barriers (P<0.001, B=-0.24), perceived self-efficacy (P< 0.001, B=0.16), family social support (P<0.001, B=0.13), and friends social support (P=0.021, B=0.06) were predictors of COVID-19 preventive behaviors. These constructs were able to predict 29% of changes in COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Among them, perceived barriers were the strongest predictor of preventive behaviors.
Conclusion: Based on the predictors of COVID-19 preventive behaviors, it is suggested that policymakers, officials, and planners in the process of implementing behavioral change to improve COVID-19 preventive behaviors form strategies to increase mental sensitivity. In particular, they can use the risk of illness and inform families, as well as individuals, to improve their supportive role and self-efficacy to reduce barriers to performing preventive behavior.

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Introduction and purpose: Vaccine skepticism and refusal to vaccinate against infectious diseases have been recognized by the World Health Organization as one of the ten global health threats in 2019. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the knowledge and attitude of medical staff towards vaccination in order to advance immunization coverage.
Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes toward the Covid-19 Vaccination using a researcher-made questionnaire. In this research, 455 cases were selected via the convenience sampling method from among all the physicians and staff of Dr. Masih Deneshvari Hospital from February 2019 until the end of vaccination for four months. The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 22).
Results: A total of 455 people participated in this study. The mean age of subjects was 36.2±8.99 years. Regarding gender, 50.6% of the participants were female. It was found that 44.8% of cases believed in vaccination, 28.6% of them considered Vaccination to be safe, and 29.9% of them considered Vaccination to be effective. The participants' knowledge of the benefits and side effects of the vaccine was reported as 24.2%. In examining the mean scores of the questionnaire questions, the highest score was related to recommending family members to get vaccinated (2.54±0.58), and the lowest score was related to the role of the media in deciding on Vaccination (1.80±0.72).
Conclusion: As evidenced by the results of this study, the treatment staff's attitude towards Vaccination was average, and they often did not have any attitude toward the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. Furthermore, participants' knowledge about the benefits and side effects of the vaccine was reported to be weak, highlighting a need to increase the level of awareness among the treatment staff regarding the injection of Vaccination in emerging diseases.
 

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Introduction and purpose: There has been a prevalent decrease in physical activity and mental health due to the Covid-19 pandemic in societies which has also affected people with Down syndrome. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the level of physical activity and the mental health of children and adolescents with Down syndrome during the period of the epidemic of covid-19.
Methods: In this descriptive-correlation study that was conducted in 2021, among the exceptional schools of fifteen provinces of the country, the number of 192 girls (age: 11.98±3.35 years) and 192 boys (age: 12.30±3.16 years) from people with Down syndrome were selected by available and targeted sampling method. After the necessary arrangements, standard physical activity and mental health questionnaires were provided to the parents of children and adolescents. Data were analyzed using Spearman's correlation coefficient and Mann- Whitney U test with SPSS version 25 software.
Results: According to the findings, the physical activity level of boys and girls was below average and unfavorable. Also, in the psychological dimension and based on the four subscales, it was found that in both sexes, there were no disorders related to anxiety, general health status, and depression, and only in the category of social dysfunction, the condition of people was unfavorable. Also, physical activity had a negative and significant relationship with social dysfunction in girls (P=0.001, r=- 0.24) and boys (P=0.014, r=- 0.17).
Conclusion: The results related to the comparison of mental health categories and physical activity level showed that there is no difference between boys and girls with Down syndrome. Only in the dimension of social dysfunction; the disorder of boys was more than that of girls, which probably decreases with the increase in the level of physical activity.
 

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Introduction and purpose: This s tudy aimed to inves tigate the relationship of ambiguity tolerance, trus t, religious attitude, and quality of life with the attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination by analyzing the mediating role of health anxiety among citizens in Zanjan, Iran.
Methods: This descriptive-correlational s tudy was conducted on 597 citizens of Zanjan who were selected using the convenience sampling method. The data were collected utilizing the COVID-19 Vaccination Attitude Ques tionnaire, Uncertainty Intolerance Ques tionnaire by Carleton et al. (2007), NEO Revised Five Personality Factors Ques tionnaire by McCree and Cos ta (1985), Religious Commitment Inventory-10 by Worthington et al. (2003), World Health Organization Quality of Life Ques tionnaire (1996), and Health Anxiety Ques tionnaire by Salkowski and Warwick (2002). The obtained data were then analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient tes t and path analysis in SPSS software (version 26) and LISREL software (version 10.20).
Results: The s tandard pathway coefficients indicated a significant correlation of the attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccination with ambiguity tolerance (β=-0.09, P˂0.05), trus t (β=-0.10, P˂0.05), and quality of life (β=-0.28, P˂0.001). Moreover, health anxiety was directly correlated with ambiguity tolerance (β=-0.11, P˂0.05), trus t (β=-0.11, P˂0.05), religious attitude (β=-0.12, P˂0.01), and quality of life (β=-0.09, P˂0.05). In addition, the results revealed the indirect association of tolerance of ambiguity, trus t, religious attitude, and quality of life with health anxiety (β=-0.16, P˂0.001).
Conclusion: According to the results, health anxiety can play a mediating role in the relationship of the attitude towards COVID-19 with ambiguity tolerance, trus t, religious attitude, and quality of life.

 

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Introduction and purpose: Water is a key element in hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present s tudy aimed to survey the opinions regarding the possible impact of Coronavirus on water and wastewater sources and facilities.
Methods: The experts and managers of the Regional Water Organization and the Water and Wastewater Company were surveyed using a checklist  (ranking-descriptive) in the present cross-sectional descriptive s tudy. One-sample and two-sample chi-square tests and non-parametric Mann-Whitney test were used for s tatis tical analysis.
Results: In total, 70.9% of participants believed that the outbreak of COVID-19 affected the water resources and facilities in terms of consumption and supply while increasing the consumption (93.2%) and creating a significant challenge in supply (83%) had des tructive effects on other uses, especially agriculture (22.7%). Also, 92.3% believed that managing urban water consumption during the Corona outbreak and modifying the consumption pattern is necessary. The need for more preparation (79.6%), funding (86.8%), and training (96.8%) was recommended. Regular monitoring of water was emphasized by 70.9% of the participants. It is noteworthy that only 50.4% of the respondents believed that the treatment done on the water in the water treatment plants can control the coronavirus.
Conclusion: The performance of managers and experts regarding water sources and facilities is a function of their beliefs regarding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. About 50% of the participants failed to believe in the effectiveness of the exis ting water treatment in deactivating the coronavirus. Also, specialized training is recommended to increase knowledge.
 

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Introduction and purpose: The assessment of the length of hospital s tay until recovery of patients with Covid-19 and its related factors in different areas can help manage the treatment process and prepare for the epidemic. This s tudy aimed to model the survival time until the recovery of COVID-19 definite patients.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical s tudy was retrospective. The s tatis tical population included all COVID-19 definite hospitalized in the educational and medical hospitals of Goles tan University of Medical Sciences from 20 February to 20 July 2020. The outcome variable was discharging confirmed cases of Covid-19. All analytical tes ts and charting were performed in R3.6.2 software.
Results: From a total of 3480 confirmed patients, 77.5% recovered, and 22.5% experienced death at the end of the s tudy or were undergoing treatment. The median length of hospitalization in patients was 6 (IQR: 3-10) days. The mean age of all patients was 52.93±19.20 years; 58.2% of patients were over 49 years old, and half of the population were male. Women infected with Covid-19 survived and recovered 1.16 times more than men. Patients with an age group above 49 years of age had more recovery than their counterparts aged under 49 years.
Conclusion: As evidenced by the obtained results, apart from older adults, the prevalence of the disease needs to be evaluated more closely in young people and men, and these people should be monitored and screened frequently.

 

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Introduction and purpose: Covid-19 is an infectious disease caused by the novel Coronavirus, and its pandemic has resulted in numerous deaths and losses worldwide. This study aimed to predict Corona-preventive behaviors in adults aged 30 to 50 admitted to Ardabil health centers based on their health literacy.
Methods: The present study was a correlational descriptive-analytical study. The statistical population consisted of 30 to 50-year-old patients admitted to Ardabil health centers (Iran) in 2019, from which 232 were randomly selected using cluster sampling. Data were collected through administering a health literacy and preventative behavior questionnaire online. The data were then analyzed using inferential (Pearson correlation and linear regression) statistics by the SPSS software (version 26) with a significance threshold of 0.05.
Results: The results of this investigation revealed a statistically significant relationship (P<0.0001) between health literacy and anti-Covid-19 preventative behavior. In addition, there was a direct but moderate correlation between the stated factors (r=0.526). According to the findings of linear regression analysis, decision-making (P<0.0001, B=0.980) and knowledge (P=0.008, B=0.588) were the strongest predictors of preventive behavior. Overall, the variables included in the regression analysis predicted 65.6% of the Covid-19 disease-preventive behaviors.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that health literacy plays a crucial role in enhancing citizens’ preventative behaviors against Covid-19. Therefore, it is possible to strengthen people’s preventive behavior against Covid-19 by enhancing their health literacy.
 

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Introduction and purpose: The spread of the COVID-19 disease and the increase in healthcare costs have made health care providers look for a solution to evaluate the performance of the healthcare delivery system. One of the effective indicators for determining the optimal use of hospital resources is the length of stay (LOS). This study was conducted to determine the effective factors on the LOS of patients in Zahedan hospitals, in Iran, before and after the outbreak of COVID-19.
Methods: The present descriptive study was conducted by examining the records of patients admitted to four general hospitals in Zahedan from 2018 to 2021. To analyze the data, independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used.
Results: Out of 1600 examined patients, 59.2% were female and 40.8% were male. The mean and standard deviation of the patients’ LOS in general hospitals of Zahedan city was 3.4±3.5 days. It was found that LOS decreased after the outbreak of COVID-19 (3.5±3.7 days before the COVID-19 outbreak, 3.2±3.2 days after the COVID-19 outbreak). In general, LOS in terms of demographic characteristics, management factors, type of disease, history of underlying disease, and type of hospital had a significant difference (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present research, the average LOS of patients in general hospitals of Zahedan was favorable (less than 3.5 days). However, due to the lack of hospital resources, it is recommended to improve hospital processes and pay more attention to the variables affecting them.
 

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Introduction and purpose: Despite the availability of vaccines, the use of face masks remains a recognized and effective measure in preventing the spread of COVID-19. However, it is crucial to comprehend the underlying factors influencing people's adherence to preventive behaviors, particularly mask usage within communities, as negligence and disregard for this matter persist. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify the reasons for not using masks by people during the COVID-19 pandemic from the point of view of health experts.
Methods: This research employed a qualitative approach and content analysis in 2019. A targeted sampling method was employed, and 15 healthcare experts from Kashan and Aran and Bidgol, Iran, participated in this study. Participants were selected to represent maximum diversity in terms of age, gender, and education level. Semi-structured interviews were conducted as the primary method of data collection. The duration of the interviews varied between 20-30 min. The interview transcripts were carefully documented, extracted, and segmented into meaningful units. To enhance the research's reliability and confirm the accuracy of the findings, credibility criteria were employed to validate the collected data.
Results: Out of the interview participants, 66.6% held a bachelor's degree, 13.4% possessed a master's degree, and 20% had a doctorate degree. Around 80% of the participants were male, with 53.5% falling within the 40-50 age range, and all were married. During the data analysis process, 40 core concepts sharing common characteristics were categorized into six subclasses, which were further condensed into three main classes based on abstract commonalities. The research findings were classified into three main categories: individual factors, interpersonal factors, and environmental factors. The subcategories included lack of awareness, behavioral and belief patterns, physical barriers, subjective norms, economic barriers, environmental barriers, inappropriate mask structure, and health policies and guidelines.
Conclusion: Based on the findings of this research, in addition to individual factors (e.g., awareness and beliefs regarding preventive behaviors), interpersonal factors, abstract norms, and economic and environmental factors can significantly influence mask usage within a society. This finding highlights the necessity of government organizations' support to address these challenges effectively.
 

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Introduction and purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic is still one of the major challenges faced by health systems around the world. Knowledge, attitude, practice, and acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine are important factors in encouraging people to inject the vaccine. This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of people's knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccination.
Methods: This study was a systematic review based on articles published in 2019-2022 that examined the knowledge, attitude, practice, and acceptance of community members regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. A total of 14 databases and 56 articles were evaluated. Databases included Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Ovid, Science Direct, WILEY, Scopus, Pro-Quest, Medline, Elsevier, Magiran, and SID.
Results: After analyzing the articles, abstracts, and main texts, 13 articles, all of which were descriptive-cross-sectional studies, were selected for the final analysis. It was found that 61.5% (n=8) of studies showed a high and acceptable level of knowledge, 30.7% (n=4) a high level of attitude, 15.3% (n=2) an average level of practice, and 23% (n=3) a high level of acceptance toward COVID-19 vaccine.
Conclusion: People's level of knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccine was at a high level. Nevertheless, people's attitude towards the injection of the COVID-19 vaccine and its effectiveness, and consequently, the acceptance of this vaccine and the willingness to inject it was at a low level. Therefore, health system policymakers should take measures according to the cultural background of the societies to encourage people to inject the vaccine against COVID-19.