Demographic characteristics

The study included 402 participants aged 50 years and above, with a higher proportion of females (67.9%) than males (32.1%). More than half of the participants (54.5%) were aged 50–55 years, followed by those aged 56–60 years (27.1%). Most participants had a higher education level (65.7%) and the majority were from Saudi Arabia (97.8%). Among the employed participants, 173 (43.0%) were in the teaching and education sector. The most common chronic conditions reported were hypertension (29.9%), diabetes mellitus (29.4%), and dyslipidemia (25.1%) (Table 1).

Table 1 Demographic Characteristics of the Study Population Knowledge of shingles

Overall, 328 (81.6%) participants reported having heard of shingles. Over one-third of the participants (n = 141, 35.1%) learned about shingles from their family or friends, followed by knowing someone who had shingles (n = 136, 33.8%). Healthcare providers were the source of information for only 30 (7.5%) participants, while the Internet, including social media and websites, was the source of information for 91 (22.6%) participants. Additionally, only 18 (4.5%) participants had personal experiences with shingles (Table 2).

Table 2 Survey Responses on Sources of Information about Shingles and Its Vaccine

Of the participants, 64 (15.9%) reported having chickenpox. Additionally, 72 participants (17.9%) believed that they had chickenpox before putting them at a higher risk of getting shingles, while 99 participants (24.6%) did not believe that they could get shingles if they came into contact with someone who had it. Furthermore, only 32 participants (8%) correctly identified that there was no cure for the shingles.

Table 3 summarizes the participants’ responses to questions about risk factors, susceptible groups, and the signs, symptoms, and complications of shingles. The most commonly identified perceived risk factor for shingles was a weakened immune system (n = 133, 33.1%), followed by advanced age (n = 85, 21.1%) and chronic diseases (n = 74, 18.4%). Nearly half of the participants correctly identified the elderly as the group most susceptible to shingles (n = 193, 48%), whereas only a small percentage identified pregnant women (n = 23, 5.7%). The most commonly identified sign or symptom of shingles was rash (n = 250, 62.2%) followed by blisters (n = 139, 34.6%). However, fever was incorrectly reported as a symptom by 142 (35.3%) participants.

Table 3 Survey Responses on Knowledge of Shingles Attitudes toward shingles

Figure 1 shows that 133 (33.0%) participants reported being concerned about getting shingles and 253 (62.9%) reported that shingles can have a significant impact on their health. The majority of participants (n = 319, 79.4%) were interested in learning more about shingles and how to prevent them, and 343 (85.3%) reported that they would like to know more about the strategies to prevent shingles.

Fig. 1

Survey responses on attitudes toward shingles

Knowledge of shingles vaccine

Overall, 230 (57.2%) participants reported having heard of the Shingle vaccine. The primary sources of information were the vaccination schedule (n = 206, 51.2%) and knowing someone who had shingles (n = 187, 46.5%), while healthcare providers were the primary sources for 174 (43.3%) participants. Only 108 (26.9%) participants correctly identified that the recommended age for receiving the vaccine was over 50 years.

Attitudes toward shingles vaccine

Only 31 (7.7%) patients reported receiving the Shingle vaccine. However, 214 (53.2%) participants expressed willingness to receive the vaccine. Statistically significant differences in the willingness to take the shingle vaccine were observed based on age group, residential location, and educational level (Table 4). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that participants in the 56–60 age group were 1.8 times more likely to be willing to take the vaccine than those in the 50–55 age group (p = 0.03). Men were 1.9 times more likely to be willing to take the vaccine than women (p = 0.01). Furthermore, participants from the Southern Region were 2.3 times more likely to be willing to take the vaccine than those from the Western Region (p = 0.02). Finally, participants with a primary education were 16.1 times more likely to be willing to take the vaccine than those with a higher education (p = 0.01) (Table 5).

Table 4 Willingness to Take Shingles Vaccine by Demographic Factors Table 5 Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis of Factors Associated with the Willingness to Take the Shingles Vaccine Barriers to receiving the shingles vaccine

Figure 2 summarizes the barriers that prevented the participants from receiving the shingle vaccine. Of the participants, 101 (25.1%) reported concerns about potential side effects, while 34 (8.5%) cited personal beliefs as barriers, such as not believing in vaccines or preferring to take medicine when sick. In addition, 26 (6.5%) participants did not perceive themselves to be at risk or did not know that the vaccine existed. Other barriers included cost and insurance coverage (n = 5, 1.2%), and miscellaneous reasons (n = 35, 8.7%).

Fig. 2

Barriers to receiving the shingles vaccine