Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
BMC Public Health. 2023 Mar 30;23(1):601. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-15533-x.
Mistrust in science and scientists may adversely influence the rate of COVID-19 vaccination and undermine public health initiatives to reduce virus transmission.
Students, staff and faculty responded to an email invitation to complete an electronic survey. Surveys included 21-items from the Trust in Science and Scientists Inventory questionnaire. Responses were coded so higher scores indicated a higher trust in science and scientists, A linear regression model including sex, age group, division, race and ethnicity, political affiliation, and history of COVID-19, was used to determine variables significantly associated with trust in science and scientists scores at the p < 0.05 level.
Participants were mostly female (62.1%), Asian (34.7%) and White (39.5%) and students (70.6%). More than half identified their political affiliation as Democrat (65%). In the final regression model, all races and ethnicities had significantly lower mean trust in science and scientists scores than White participants [Black ([Formula: see text]= -0.42, 95% CI: -0.55, -0.43, p < 0.001); Asian ([Formula: see text]= -0.20, 95% CI: -0.24, -0.17, p < 0.001); Latinx ([Formula: see text]= -0.22, 95% CI: -0.27, -0.18, p < 0.001); Other ([Formula: see text]= -0.19, 95% CI: -0.26, -0.11, p < 0.001)]. Compared to those identifying as Democrat, all other political affiliations had significantly lower mean scores. [Republican ([Formula: see text] =-0.49, 95% CI: -0.55, -0.43, p < 0.0001); Independent ([Formula: see text] =-0.29, 95% CI: -0.33, -0.25, p < 0.0001); something else ([Formula: see text] =-0.19, 95% CI: -0.25, -0.12, p < 0.0001)]. Having had COVID-19 ([Formula: see text]= -0.10, 95% CI: -0.15, -0.06, p < 0.001) had significantly lower scores compared to those who did not have COVID-19.
Despite the setting of a major research University, trust in science is highly variable. This study identifies characteristics that could be used to target and curate educational campaigns and university policies to address the COVID19 and future pandemics.
对科学和科学家的不信任可能会对 COVID-19 疫苗接种率产生不利影响，并破坏减少病毒传播的公共卫生举措。
学生、教职员工响应电子邮件邀请，完成电子调查。调查包括信任科学和科学家清单问卷中的 21 个项目。响应被编码，因此分数越高表示对科学和科学家的信任度越高。使用包括性别、年龄组、部门、种族和民族、政治派别以及 COVID-19 病史的线性回归模型，以确定在 p<0.05 水平与信任科学和科学家分数显著相关的变量。
参与者主要是女性（62.1%）、亚洲人（34.7%）和白人（39.5%）以及学生（70.6%）。超过一半的人表示他们的政治派别是民主党（65%）。在最终的回归模型中，所有种族和民族的科学和科学家信任平均得分均明显低于白人参与者[黑人([公式：见文本]=-0.42，95%CI：-0.55，-0.43，p<0.001)；亚洲人([公式：见文本]=-0.20，95%CI：-0.24，-0.17，p<0.001)；拉丁裔([公式：见文本]=-0.22，95%CI：-0.27，-0.18，p<0.001)；其他人([公式：见文本]=-0.19，95%CI：-0.26，-0.11，p<0.001)]。与自认为是民主党的人相比，所有其他政治派别得分明显较低。[共和党人([公式：见文本]=-0.49，95%CI：-0.55，-0.43，p<0.0001)；独立人士([公式：见文本]=-0.29，95%CI：-0.33，-0.25，p<0.0001)；其他([公式：见文本]=-0.19，95%CI：-0.25，-0.12，p<0.0001)]。与没有 COVID-19 的人相比，患有 COVID-19 的人([公式：见文本]=-0.10，95%CI：-0.15，-0.06，p<0.001)的分数明显较低。
尽管这是一所主要研究型大学的背景，但对科学的信任度差异很大。本研究确定了一些特征，可以用来针对和策划教育活动和大学政策，以应对 COVID19 和未来的大流行。
