BACKGROUND: @entity283 ( @entity283 ) are at risk of @entity281 and transmission of vaccine-preventable @entity166 . In recent years cases of measles or @entity992 in health care workers were observed with increasing frequency. The aim of our study was to investigate attitude toward immunization and risk perception of measles, @entity2462 , @entity20436 , @entity992 , and @entity5695 in @entity283 working in 6 hospitals of Florence (Italy). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey among the physicians, nurses, midwives, and nursing assistants working in selected departments was performed trough a self-administered, anonymous questionnaire. Overall, 600 questionnaires were sent and 436 @entity283 ' completed forms were included into the study (Participation rate: 72.7%). Data were analyzed with STATA 11.0   and odds ratio (OR) were calculated in a multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Among all respondents 74.9% were females. The average age was nearly 43-years-old (42.9 - SD 8.95). The majority of @entity1 (58.6%) were nurses, 21.3% physicians, 12.9% nursing assistants, and 7.2% were midwives. Among those @entity283 reporting no history of disease, 52.8% (95% CI: 42.0-63.3%) declared to have been immunized for measles, 46.9% for @entity2462 (95% CI: 39.0-54.9%), 21.6% for @entity20436 (95% CI: 15.1-29.4%), 14.9% for @entity992 (95% CI: 7.4-25.7%), and 14.5% for @entity5695 (95% CI: 10.0-20.0%). When considering potentially susceptible @entity283 (without history of disease or vaccination and without serological confirmation), less than a half of them feel at risk for the concerned diseases and only less than 30% would undergo immunization. One of the main reasons of the relatively low coverage was indeed lack of active offer of vaccines. CONCLUSION: Attitudes toward immunization observed in this study are generally positive for preventing some @entity166 (i.e., measles and @entity2462 ), but relatively poor for others (i.e., @entity992 ). More information should be made available to @entity283 on the benefits of vaccination and efforts to encourage vaccination uptake should be performed. Educational program on the risk of being infected working in a hospital should be implemented in order to increase the risk perception toward @entity166 among @entity283 .

Attitude toward immunization and risk perception of measles, @entity2462 , @entity20436 , XXXX , and @entity5695 in health care workers working in 6 hospitals of Florence, Italy 2011.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['participants'] @entity283 :: ('OMIM:603663', 'Disease') :: ['HCWs', 'Health care workers'] @entity992 :: ('MESH:D002644', 'Disease') :: ['varicella'] @entity5695 :: ('MESH:D014917', 'Disease') :: ['pertussis'] @entity281 :: ('MESH:D007239', 'Disease') :: ['infection'] @entity2462 :: ('MESH:D012409', 'Disease') :: ['rubella'] @entity166 :: ('MESH:D003141', 'Disease') :: ['infectious diseases'] @entity20436 :: ('MESH:D009107', 'Disease') :: ['mumps']
@entity992 :: (MESH:D002644,Disease) :: ['varicella']
