Browsing by Author "Amir, Kabunga"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and associated factors among the business community in Lira City, Uganda: a cross-sectional research
    (2023) Eustes, Kigongo; Everlyne, Achan; Amir, Kabunga; Sean Steven, Puleh
    Background: As of November 26th, 2021, three platforms and at least seven distinct vaccines had been delivered worldwide. The vaccines include: Pfizer/BioNTech on December 31, 2020; AstraZeneca on February 16, 2021; Janssen by Johnson & Johnson on March 12, 2021; Moderna on April 30, 2021; Sinopharm on May 7, 2021; Sinovac CoronaVac on July 1, 2021; and COVAXIN on November 3, 2021. Despite this ground-breaking scientific finding, vaccine reluctance is considered as a barrier to obtaining herd immunity in the fight to contain this widespread pandemic. The idea that the population was willing to accept the vaccination in order to create herd immunity has been the foundation for the effectiveness of vaccines. The goal of this study was to assess COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and associated factors among the business community in Lira City, Uganda. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional design. Conducted among members of the business community from Lira City in Northern Uganda. The sample size was 421, however, only 407 members of the business community who responded were included in the analysis. Results: Of the 407 participants, 57.3% were females, 52.5% were married, 88.4% were Langi by Tribe, 43.5% had tertiary education, 33.4% were Anglicans, and 40.1% were market vendors. Results also show that about 32.3% of the respondents had either delayed or refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine. The correlates of vaccination hesitance were education level (aOR; 3.63, 95%CI; 1.49-8.79, p=0.04), having a chronic medical condition (aOR; 2.7, 95%CI; 1.39-5.38, p=0.04) and certainty in the COVID-19 vaccines (aOR; 0.27, 95%CI; 0.017-0.51, p=0.02). Respondents who had primary level education had a more than 2-fold increased odds of acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination compared to those who had not attained any formal education. Individuals who had chronic medical conditions had more than 2-fold increased odds of accepting the COVID-19 vaccine compared to those who did not have any chronic medical conditions. Those who were certain in COVID-19 vaccine were 73% less likely to hesitate vaccination as compared to their counterparts who were uncertain. Conclusion: The study found a substantially high level of COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in Lira city and its predictors were level of education, chronic medical conditions and certainty in COVID-19 vaccines. For this reason, it is important to raise awareness among the business community about the vaccine. To increase uptake, policymakers and other stakeholders need to create effective communication techniques for behavior change.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Parents’ Readiness to Vaccinate Their Children Aged 5 to 17 Years Against Covid-19 and Its Associated Factors in Lira District, Uganda
    (Pediatric Health, Medicine and Therapeutics, 2023) Puleh, Sean Steven; Kigongo, Eustes; Opio, Innocent Ojok; Akech, Stella Immaculate; Opollo, Marc Sam; Achan, Everlyne; Acen, Joy; Anyolitho, Maxson Kenneth; Acup, Walter; Amir, Kabunga
    Background: Data on parents’ readiness to vaccinate their children aged 5 to 17 years against COVID-19 is still scarce. This study assessed parents’ readiness to vaccinate their children aged 5 to 17 years against COVID-19 and factors associated in Lira district, Uganda. Methods and Materials: A cross-sectional survey employing quantitative methods was conducted between October and November 2022 among 578 parents of children aged 5–17 years in 3 sub-counties in Lira district. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics including means, percentages, frequencies, and odds ratios. Logistic regression was used to determine associations between the factors and the readiness of parents at a 95% level of significance. Results: Out of 634 participants, 578 responded to the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 91.2%. The majority of the parents (327, 56.8%) were female, had children aged between 12 and 15 years (266, 46.4%), and had completed primary education (351, 60.9%). Most of the parents were Christian (565, 98.4%), married (499, 86.6%), and had been vaccinated against COVID-19 (535, 92.6%). Results also indicated that 75.6% (ranging from 71.9% to 78.9%) of the parents were unwilling to vaccinate their children for the COVID-19 virus. The predictors of readiness were the age of the child (AOR: 2.02; 95% CI: 0.97–4.20; p=0.05) and lack of trust in the vaccine (AOR: 3.33; 95% CI: 1.95–5.71; p0.001). Conclusion: Our study shows that parents’ readiness to vaccinate their children aged 5 to 17 years was only 24.6%, which is suboptimal. The predictors of hesitancy were the age of the child and a lack of trust in the vaccine. Based on our results, the Ugandan authorities should provide health education interventions targeting parents to combat mistrust with respect to COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine and highlight the benefits of the vaccines. Keywords: children, minors, hesitancy, readiness, vaccination
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Service Quality and Customer Retention in Hotel Industry in Lira City
    (Lira University, 2021) Ayo, Harriet; Amir, Kabunga; Obote, Denis
    The hotel business is rapidly developing due to growing demands for such services as well as the growing opportunities for travel. The aim of this article was to assess the effect of the quality of hotel services on the retention of customers. This paper applied the SERVQUAL model for the purpose of examining the effects of the dimensions of service quality on customer retention in the hotel industry in Lira City and to investigate how the factors of reliability, Responsiveness and Tangibility among the five dimensions affects customer retention in hotels. Primary data was collected from the hotel customers using a 5-Likert type scale questionnaire. Demographics data was analyzed by descriptive statistics while the effect of service quality on customer retention was analyzed by using regression model. There were significant effects of some Servqual dimensions constructs of (reliability, responsiveness, and tangibility) and indicators of customer retention (customer trust, Word of Mouth, switching barriers). Constructs of Reliability RI =Services promised was significant at 1% level, R2= Service performed right first time was significant at 1% level with the p-values of 0.0050 and 0.0013 respectively, for responsiveness as a service quality was not significant but some individual constructs of P2, P3 and P4 were significant at 1%, 5% and 10% respectively. For tangibility, only T1 and T4 turned to be significant. T4 is significant at 1% level with P-Value of 0.0055 and T1 is significant at 5% level with the p-value of 0.0163. The study thus demonstrated need for a continuous operational research and quick improvements by the proprietors of hotel industries given the stiff competitions and the dynamism of human conditions. It unfolded the fact that needs and wants of humanity are complex but require a resilient approach of adaptation and the forecasts for a better future of the business. Any laxity on supervision or acquisition of the appropriate facilities might hit a big blow on the hotel business.