Abstract
BACKGROUND: It is well known that patients with diabetes are at increased risk of influenza infection and its serious complications. Our aim was to evaluate the attitude towards and prevalence of influenza vaccination among Saudi patients with diabetes. METHODOLOGY: Descriptive questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey of a sample of patients with diabetes attending a specialist diabetic centre in the Ministry of Health Hospital in Taif city in Saudi Arabia. We utilized a generalized logistic regression model analysis to evaluate the effect of background factors on influenza vaccine uptake. RESULTS: The study included (n = 336) patients with diabetes. The prevalence of uptake of influenza vaccine was 43.5% (CI: 38.2% to 48.8%). Adjusted analysis of background effects revealed that uptake of influenza vaccine was improved with age, university education, and belief in the dangerousness of flu infection in patients with diabetes. Factors that deterred from the uptake of flu vaccines were longer in DM duration, getting health messages about flu vaccines, belief in vaccine effectiveness, health practitioner information, in addition to physician recommendation of the vaccine. CONCLUSION: The content of health messages about flu vaccine and the quality of practitioner-patient interaction requires considerable improvement and re-evaluation if the flu vaccine uptake rates among Saudi individuals with diabetes were to increase. Comprehensive therapeutic packages for patients with diabetes should include high quality education about influenza vaccine. Research into preventative measures among patients with diabetes should evaluate the effect of educational interventions using robust methodology.