COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Italy: Predictors of Acceptance, Fence Sitting and Refusal of the COVID-19 Vaccination

Frontiers in Public Health

article

Cristina Zarbo¹  Valentina Candini¹  Clarissa Ferrari²  Miriam d'Addazio¹  Gemma Calamandrei³  Fabrizio Starace⁴  Marta Caserotti⁵  Teresa Gavaruzzi⁵  Lorella Lotto⁵  Alessandra Tasso⁶  Manuel Zamparini¹  Giovanni de Girolamo¹ 

[1] Unit of Epidemiological Psychiatry and Evaluation, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli;Service of Statistics, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli;Centre for Behavioral Science and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità;Department of Mental Health and Drug Abuse;Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova;Department of Humanities, University of Ferrara

关键词: trust;    conspiracy;    vaccination;    perceived risk;    restrictions;    protective behaviors;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpubh.2022.873098

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Background The hesitancy in taking the COVID-19 vaccine is a global challenge. The need to identify predictors of COVID-19 vaccine reluctance is critical. Our objectives were to evaluate sociodemographic, psychological, and behavioral factors, as well as attitudes and beliefs that influence COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in the general population of Italy. Methods A total of 2,015 people were assessed in two waves (March, April and May, 2021). Participants were divided into three groups: (1) individuals who accepted the vaccination (“accepters”); (2) individuals who refused the vaccination (“rejecters”); and (3) individuals who were uncertain about their attitudes toward the vaccination (“fence sitters”). Group comparisons were performed using ANOVA, the Kruskal-Wallis test and chi-square tests. The strength of the association between the groups and the participants' characteristics was analyzed using a series of multinomial logistic regression models with bootstrap internal validation (one for each factor). Results The “fence sitters” group, when compared to the others, included individuals of younger age, lower educational level, and worsening economic situation in the previous 3 months. After controlling for sociodemographic factors, the following features emerged as the main risk factors for being “fence sitters” (compared with vaccine “accepters”): reporting lower levels of protective behaviors, trust in institutions and informational sources, frequency of use of informational sources, agreement with restrictions and higher conspirative mentality. Higher levels of COVID-19 perceived risk, trust in institutions and informational sources, frequency of use of informational sources, agreement with restrictions and protective behaviors were associated with a higher likelihood of becoming “fence sitters” rather than vaccine “rejecters.” Conclusions The “fence sitters” profile revealed by this study is intriguing and should be the focus of public programmes aimed at improving adherence to the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

【 授权许可】

CC BY