Shahani Riffat, Chu Jianxun, Rufai Olayemi Hafeez, Zawar Asma, Muhideen Sayibu, Dilawar Sana, Amosun Tunde Simeon
School of Humaities and Social Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230052, China.
School of Public Affairs, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230052, China.
Vaccines (Basel). 2022 Aug 5;10(8):1260. doi: 10.3390/vaccines10081260.
Vaccination is a vital component in the battle against outbreaks of infectious diseases. Recognizing parents' reluctance to vaccinate their children is even more critical now, given the ongoing threat of a COVID-19 pandemic. Conspiracy theories, vaccination safety concerns, parental efficacy and risk perception, and a lack of confidence in science all influence intention. To investigate how these variables interact with vaccination behavior against COVID-19, we developed a model with psychosocial factors serving as the predictor and mistrust in science and vaccine knowledge serving as the mediator. In order to validate the model, the parents' intentions regarding their children's vaccination with COVID-19 were used. The study included 454 Pakistani parents who completed an online questionnaire assessing their intention to vaccinate their children. We analyzed the data using structural equation modeling (SEM). A significant level of vaccine hesitation is due to belief in vaccine conspiracy theories, and vaccine safety concerns were investigated. A surprising correlation exists between risk perception and vaccination intentions, followed by parental self-efficacy. It is significant to note that vaccine knowledge mediated conspiracy beliefs, risk perceptions, and intentions fully but partially mediated parental self-efficacy. Conspiracy theories were mediated by a mistrust in science, while perceptions of risk and vaccine safety were partially mediated. The findings of this research were used to develop sensible policy reforms and public health campaigns to encourage vaccination against both common infections such as measles, human papillomaviruses, or pertussis, and novel diseases such as COVID-19.
疫苗接种是抗击传染病爆发的关键组成部分。鉴于新冠疫情的持续威胁，认识到父母不愿为孩子接种疫苗这一情况现在变得更加重要。阴谋论、对疫苗安全性的担忧、父母的效能感和风险认知，以及对科学缺乏信心，都会影响接种意愿。为了研究这些变量如何与针对新冠病毒的疫苗接种行为相互作用，我们构建了一个模型，其中社会心理因素作为预测变量，对科学的不信任和疫苗知识作为中介变量。为了验证该模型，我们使用了父母对其孩子接种新冠疫苗的意愿。该研究纳入了454名巴基斯坦父母，他们完成了一份在线问卷，评估其为孩子接种疫苗的意愿。我们使用结构方程模型（SEM）分析了数据。研究调查了因相信疫苗阴谋论而导致的显著程度的疫苗犹豫情况，以及对疫苗安全性的担忧。风险认知与接种意愿之间存在惊人的相关性，其次是父母的自我效能感。值得注意的是，疫苗知识完全中介了阴谋论信念、风险认知和接种意愿，但仅部分中介了父母的自我效能感。阴谋论由对科学的不信任所中介，而风险认知和疫苗安全性认知则部分被中介。本研究的结果被用于制定合理的政策改革和公共卫生宣传活动，以鼓励针对麻疹、人乳头瘤病毒或百日咳等常见感染以及新冠病毒等新型疾病的疫苗接种。
