Jin Shihui, Cook Alex R, Kanwagi Robert, Larson Heidi J, Lin Leesa
Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore.
Department of Statistics and Data Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Commun Med (Lond). 2024 Oct 24;4(1):212. doi: 10.1038/s43856-024-00628-2.
In the midst of the global COVID-19 vaccine distribution challenge, religion stands out as a key determinant of vaccine hesitancy and health choices. Notably, the multifaceted religious environments of Africa and the Asia Pacific remain under-researched in this context.
Utilizing data from two survey waves conducted between 2021 and 2022, this cross-sectional study investigated the effects of religious beliefs on perceptions of compatibility between religion and vaccines and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Africa and Asia Pacific. Logistic regression models were employed, with interaction terms between socio-economic factors incorporated to account for variations among diverse subpopulations.
Among the eight religious groups identified, Atheists and Buddhists in the Asia Pacific exhibit the lowest agreement, with fewer than 60% acknowledging the religious compatibility of vaccines. Willingness to accept vaccines, however, is consistently higher in Asia Pacific by at least four percentage points compared to Africa, with the disparity widening further in the second wave. Impacts of education on vaccine perceptions vary across religious groups, while acknowledging vaccine compatibility with religion positively contributed to vaccine acceptance. Dynamics between region, religion, and other socio-demographic factors have changed substantially over time. All but Atheists and Muslims exhibit a higher propensity to endorse vaccines during Survey Wave 2.
Our study reveals complex, context-dependent connections between vaccine attitudes and religion and the heterogeneous effects of time and education among different religious affiliations. Understanding the underlying drivers of these temporal variations helps inform tailored approaches aimed at addressing vaccine hesitancy, promoting vaccine uptake, and improving the well-being of each religious group.
在全球新冠疫苗分配面临挑战的背景下，宗教成为疫苗犹豫和健康选择的关键决定因素。值得注意的是，非洲和亚太地区多层面的宗教环境在这方面的研究仍显不足。
本横断面研究利用2021年至2022年两轮调查的数据，探究宗教信仰对非洲和亚太地区宗教与疫苗兼容性认知以及新冠疫苗接受度的影响。采用逻辑回归模型，并纳入社会经济因素之间的交互项，以解释不同亚群体之间的差异。
在确定的八个宗教群体中，亚太地区的无神论者和佛教徒认同度最低，不到60%的人认可疫苗与宗教的兼容性。然而，亚太地区接受疫苗的意愿始终比非洲至少高四个百分点，在第二轮调查中差距进一步扩大。教育对疫苗认知的影响因宗教群体而异，而认可疫苗与宗教的兼容性对疫苗接受度有积极贡献。随着时间的推移，地区、宗教和其他社会人口因素之间的动态关系发生了很大变化。除无神论者和穆斯林外，所有群体在第二轮调查中认可疫苗的倾向都更高。
我们的研究揭示了疫苗态度与宗教之间复杂的、依赖于具体情境的联系，以及不同宗教信仰中时间和教育的异质影响。了解这些时间变化的潜在驱动因素有助于制定针对性的方法，以解决疫苗犹豫问题，促进疫苗接种，并改善每个宗教群体的福祉。
