Investigation of Fear of COVID-19 and Attitudes toward COVID-19 Vaccine among Individuals Undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

Background: Individuals who have undergone coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery experience fear about the possibility of contacting the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), in addition to their current situation after surgery. The level of fear is a determining factor in the attitudes of individuals toward vaccination.

Aim: The study aims to investigate the fear of COVID-19 and attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine among individuals undergoing CABG surgery.

Methods: The study was carried out with 152 followed up individuals who applied to the cardiovascular surgery outpatient unit of a training and research hospital between March 2021 and June 2021 as part of their follow-up appointments. Data were collected using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and the Attitude toward the COVID-19 Vaccination Scale. Descriptive, parametric (one-way analysis of variance), and nonparametric (Mann–Whitney U and Spearman Correlation) tests were used to analyze the study results.

Results: The mean age of the patients was 60.39 ± 5.71, 56.6% were male, and 67.8% were illiterate. It was determined they had a moderate fear of COVID-19, and their positive attitude toward the COVID-19 vaccine was above average. A high level of fear was determined among individuals with a history of COVID-19 (40.1%) and who are also considering getting vaccinated (76.3%); however, 23.7% of individuals undergoing CABG surgery did not consider getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

Conclusion: In the study, individuals had a moderate fear of COVID-19. Individuals who have undergone CABG surgery in the high-risk group and their relatives should be provided with education and counseling on the individual and social positive effects of the COVID-19 vac-cine. Multicenter studies with larger samples are recommended for attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine among individuals undergoing CABG surgery.