RATIONALE: Risk of complications and severe outcomes from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is increased in older adults and adults with certain chronic conditions in the United States (US). Among adults with diabetes, RSV hospitalization rates are ~2.4-11.4 times higher vs. adults without diabetes. Despite this burden, there are no previous evaluations of RSV knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) among adults with diabetes. This study assessed RSV-related KAP among adults at risk of RSV infection, including adults with diabetes.
METHODS: A cross-sectional, web-based survey of US adults aged 18-89 years was administered between May-June 2022 to evaluate respiratory infection and RSV-related KAP. Target survey sample sizes included ≥200 adults from 4 subgroups: adults aged 18-59 years with diabetes, ≥1 chronic pulmonary, or ≥1 cardiac condition, as well as older adults aged 60-89 years.
RESULTS: A total of 339 adults aged 18-89 years with diabetes completed the survey (41.0%; n=339/827). Among those with diabetes, 78.2% (n=265/339) reported being knowledgeable about respiratory infections, although >60% (n=206/339) had never heard of RSV. Among those aware of RSV, 69.9% (n=93/133) rarely consider RSV as a cause of their cold/flu-like symptoms. Examples of identified knowledge gaps included respiratory infection causes (bacterial vs. viral), RSV seasonality, frequency of occurrence, and symptoms. Between 28.6-60.4% perceived that their risk of contracting RSV was lower than for 5 other respiratory infections, but only 19.6-38.9% perceived a lower severity of RSV.
CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights key RSV knowledge gaps and attitudes/perceptions among US adults with diabetes. Given the increased risk of severe RSV-related outcomes among these adults, findings can be used by health care providers to inform their patient education efforts related to RSV disease awareness.
