Barbieri Verena, Lombardo Stefano, Büssing Arndt, Gärtner Timon, Piccoliori Giuliano, Engl Adolf, Wiedermann Christian J
Institute of General Practice and Public Health, Claudiana-College of Health Professions, 39100 Bolzano, Italy.
Provincial Institute for Statistics of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano-South Tyrol (ASTAT), 39100 Bolzano, Italy.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025 Mar 11;22(3):413. doi: 10.3390/ijerph22030413.
Distinct spiritual attitudes and convictions may promote scepticism towards medical interventions, potentially influencing vaccine attitudes. This study investigated the impact of spirituality and CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) use on perceptions of vaccine harmfulness, with a focus on COVID-19 and mandatory childhood vaccinations. Additionally, it examines whether spirituality indirectly influences vaccine hesitancy through CAM use and beliefs in conspiracies. A cross-sectional probability-based survey was conducted with over 1300 participants from South Tyrol, Italy, in 2023, using the GrAw-7 (Gratitude/Awe) scale as a measure of the experiential aspect of non-religious spirituality. Statistical analysis encompassed Spearman's correlation and linear regression to assess the associations between spirituality and vaccine perceptions. A mediation model was applied to evaluate the role of spirituality in shaping attitudes towards vaccination. Higher experiential spirituality was associated with increased perceived harmfulness of COVID-19 and mandatory childhood vaccinations. Spirituality as well as perceived harmfulness of COVID-19 vaccination and mandatory childhood vaccination were correlated with age, increased CAM utilisation and conspiracy ideation, while institutional distrust was solely associated with vaccine scepticism but not with spirituality; well-being and altruism were only associated with spirituality. Mediation analysis revealed that experiential spirituality accounted for a modest but significant portion of the influence of CAM use and conspiracy thinking on vaccine perceptions. Experiential spirituality may indirectly influence vaccine perception by affecting CAM use and conspiracy thinking. Public health initiatives should incorporate spiritual beliefs and convictions into communication strategies and present vaccinations as a community responsibility. Engaging spiritual and community leaders can enhance the acceptance of vaccines among spiritually inclined groups.
不同的精神态度和信念可能会引发对医疗干预的怀疑，这有可能影响人们对疫苗的态度。本研究调查了灵性和补充与替代医学（CAM）的使用对疫苗有害性认知的影响，重点关注新冠疫苗和儿童强制疫苗接种。此外，研究还考察了灵性是否通过使用CAM和相信阴谋论来间接影响疫苗犹豫态度。2023年，对来自意大利南蒂罗尔的1300多名参与者进行了一项基于概率的横断面调查，使用感恩/敬畏（GrAw-7）量表来衡量非宗教灵性的体验方面。统计分析包括斯皮尔曼相关性分析和线性回归，以评估灵性与疫苗认知之间的关联。应用中介模型来评估灵性在塑造疫苗接种态度方面的作用。更高的体验性灵性与对新冠疫苗和儿童强制疫苗接种的更高有害性认知相关。灵性以及对新冠疫苗接种和儿童强制疫苗接种的有害性认知与年龄、CAM使用增加和阴谋论观念相关，而机构不信任仅与疫苗怀疑主义相关，与灵性无关；幸福感和利他主义仅与灵性相关。中介分析表明，体验性灵性在CAM使用和阴谋论思维对疫苗认知的影响中占了适度但显著的比例。体验性灵性可能通过影响CAM使用和阴谋论思维来间接影响疫苗认知。公共卫生倡议应将精神信仰和信念纳入沟通策略，并将疫苗接种视为一项社区责任。让宗教和社区领袖参与进来可以提高有宗教倾向群体对疫苗的接受度。
