Predicting COVID-19 vaccination intentions: the roles of threat appraisal, coping appraisal, subjective norms, and negative affect
Abstract Background As a new disease, communities possess little natural immunity to COVID-19 and vaccines are considered critical to preventing and reducing the incidence of severe illness. This study, inspired by Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), examines the relationship between citizens’ threa...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2023-02-01
|
| Series: | BMC Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15169-x |
| _version_ | 1811171481731727360 |
|---|---|
| author | Xia Zou Qiang Chen Yangyi Zhang Richard Evans |
| author_facet | Xia Zou Qiang Chen Yangyi Zhang Richard Evans |
| author_sort | Xia Zou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background As a new disease, communities possess little natural immunity to COVID-19 and vaccines are considered critical to preventing and reducing the incidence of severe illness. This study, inspired by Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), examines the relationship between citizens’ threat appraisal, coping appraisal, subjective norms, negative affect, and their COVID-19 vaccination intentions. Methods A sample of 340 citizens from two main cities in Mainland China, Xi’an and Wuxi, was used for data analysis. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed with latent and observed variables to test hypotheses. Data were analyzed using AMOS 24.0. Results Several findings extend current understanding. Firstly, our proposed model explains 73% of the variance in vaccination intentions. Secondly, perceived severity only indirectly shapes COVID-19 vaccination intentions through negative affect. Thirdly, negative affect and response costs are negatively related to COVID-19 vaccination intentions. Finally, Perceived probability, subjective norms, response efficacy and self-efficacy are positively related to COVID-19 vaccination intentions; among them, self-efficacy contributes the most, followed by response efficacy and subjective norms, and lastly perceived probability. Conclusion Theoretically, this study increases current understanding about subjective norms and affective responses. We provoke a certain amount of thought about the role of affect response in relation to threat appraisal and vaccination intentions. Specifically, governments must be vigilant that citizens’ negative affect, such as fear, may cause vaccine hesitation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T17:14:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-01c8cb5682484cd9ba2784ddd814bac2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T17:14:39Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-01c8cb5682484cd9ba2784ddd814bac22023-02-05T12:26:08ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582023-02-0123111210.1186/s12889-023-15169-xPredicting COVID-19 vaccination intentions: the roles of threat appraisal, coping appraisal, subjective norms, and negative affectXia Zou0Qiang Chen1Yangyi Zhang2Richard Evans3School of Journalism and New Media, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversitySchool of Journalism and New Media, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversitySchool of Journalism and New Media, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityFaculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie UniversityAbstract Background As a new disease, communities possess little natural immunity to COVID-19 and vaccines are considered critical to preventing and reducing the incidence of severe illness. This study, inspired by Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), examines the relationship between citizens’ threat appraisal, coping appraisal, subjective norms, negative affect, and their COVID-19 vaccination intentions. Methods A sample of 340 citizens from two main cities in Mainland China, Xi’an and Wuxi, was used for data analysis. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed with latent and observed variables to test hypotheses. Data were analyzed using AMOS 24.0. Results Several findings extend current understanding. Firstly, our proposed model explains 73% of the variance in vaccination intentions. Secondly, perceived severity only indirectly shapes COVID-19 vaccination intentions through negative affect. Thirdly, negative affect and response costs are negatively related to COVID-19 vaccination intentions. Finally, Perceived probability, subjective norms, response efficacy and self-efficacy are positively related to COVID-19 vaccination intentions; among them, self-efficacy contributes the most, followed by response efficacy and subjective norms, and lastly perceived probability. Conclusion Theoretically, this study increases current understanding about subjective norms and affective responses. We provoke a certain amount of thought about the role of affect response in relation to threat appraisal and vaccination intentions. Specifically, governments must be vigilant that citizens’ negative affect, such as fear, may cause vaccine hesitation.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15169-xCOVID-19 vaccinationSubjective normsNegative affectProtection motivation theory |
| spellingShingle | Xia Zou Qiang Chen Yangyi Zhang Richard Evans Predicting COVID-19 vaccination intentions: the roles of threat appraisal, coping appraisal, subjective norms, and negative affect BMC Public Health COVID-19 vaccination Subjective norms Negative affect Protection motivation theory |
| title | Predicting COVID-19 vaccination intentions: the roles of threat appraisal, coping appraisal, subjective norms, and negative affect |
| title_full | Predicting COVID-19 vaccination intentions: the roles of threat appraisal, coping appraisal, subjective norms, and negative affect |
| title_fullStr | Predicting COVID-19 vaccination intentions: the roles of threat appraisal, coping appraisal, subjective norms, and negative affect |
| title_full_unstemmed | Predicting COVID-19 vaccination intentions: the roles of threat appraisal, coping appraisal, subjective norms, and negative affect |
| title_short | Predicting COVID-19 vaccination intentions: the roles of threat appraisal, coping appraisal, subjective norms, and negative affect |
| title_sort | predicting covid 19 vaccination intentions the roles of threat appraisal coping appraisal subjective norms and negative affect |
| topic | COVID-19 vaccination Subjective norms Negative affect Protection motivation theory |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15169-x |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xiazou predictingcovid19vaccinationintentionstherolesofthreatappraisalcopingappraisalsubjectivenormsandnegativeaffect AT qiangchen predictingcovid19vaccinationintentionstherolesofthreatappraisalcopingappraisalsubjectivenormsandnegativeaffect AT yangyizhang predictingcovid19vaccinationintentionstherolesofthreatappraisalcopingappraisalsubjectivenormsandnegativeaffect AT richardevans predictingcovid19vaccinationintentionstherolesofthreatappraisalcopingappraisalsubjectivenormsandnegativeaffect |