Willingness to Vaccinate Against COVID-19: The Role of Health Locus of Control and Conspiracy Theories
Understanding the predictors of the willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 may aid in the resolution of current and future pandemics. We investigate how the readiness to believe conspiracy theories and the three dimensions of health locus of control (HLOC) affect the attitude toward vaccinat...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.717960/full |
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| author | Vojtech Pisl Jan Volavka Edita Chvojkova Katerina Cechova Katerina Cechova Gabriela Kavalirova Jan Vevera Jan Vevera |
| author_facet | Vojtech Pisl Jan Volavka Edita Chvojkova Katerina Cechova Katerina Cechova Gabriela Kavalirova Jan Vevera Jan Vevera |
| author_sort | Vojtech Pisl |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Understanding the predictors of the willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 may aid in the resolution of current and future pandemics. We investigate how the readiness to believe conspiracy theories and the three dimensions of health locus of control (HLOC) affect the attitude toward vaccination. A cross-sectional study was conducted based on the data from an online survey of a sample of Czech university students (n = 866) collected in January 2021, using the multivariate linear regression models and moderation analysis. The results found that 60% of Czech students wanted to get vaccinated against COVID-19. In addition, 40% of the variance of willingness to get vaccinated was explained by the belief in the COVID-19-related conspiracy theories and the powerful others dimension of HLOC. One-sixth of the variance of the willingness to get vaccinated was explained by HLOC, cognitive reflection, and digital health literacy [eHealth Literacy Scale (EHEALS)]. HLOC and conspiracy mentality (CM) and its predictors are valid predictors of a hesitancy to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The campaigns promoting vaccination should target the groups specifically vulnerable to the conspiracy theories and lacking HLOC related to powerful others. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-24T03:10:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-118052ca11fd4679982a143d98b1b7e7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-24T03:10:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-118052ca11fd4679982a143d98b1b7e72022-12-21T17:17:49ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782021-10-011210.3389/fpsyg.2021.717960717960Willingness to Vaccinate Against COVID-19: The Role of Health Locus of Control and Conspiracy TheoriesVojtech Pisl0Jan Volavka1Edita Chvojkova2Katerina Cechova3Katerina Cechova4Gabriela Kavalirova5Jan Vevera6Jan Vevera7Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, CzechiaDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, CzechiaDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, CzechiaMemory Clinic, Department of Neurology, Second Faculty of Medicine, Motol University Hospital, Charles University, Prague, CzechiaInternational Clinical Research Center, St. Anne’s University Hospital Brno, Brno, CzechiaCenter of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Education, University of West Bohemia, Pilsen, CzechiaDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital in Pilsen, Charles University, Pilsen, CzechiaInstitute for Postgraduate Medical Education, Prague, CzechiaUnderstanding the predictors of the willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 may aid in the resolution of current and future pandemics. We investigate how the readiness to believe conspiracy theories and the three dimensions of health locus of control (HLOC) affect the attitude toward vaccination. A cross-sectional study was conducted based on the data from an online survey of a sample of Czech university students (n = 866) collected in January 2021, using the multivariate linear regression models and moderation analysis. The results found that 60% of Czech students wanted to get vaccinated against COVID-19. In addition, 40% of the variance of willingness to get vaccinated was explained by the belief in the COVID-19-related conspiracy theories and the powerful others dimension of HLOC. One-sixth of the variance of the willingness to get vaccinated was explained by HLOC, cognitive reflection, and digital health literacy [eHealth Literacy Scale (EHEALS)]. HLOC and conspiracy mentality (CM) and its predictors are valid predictors of a hesitancy to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The campaigns promoting vaccination should target the groups specifically vulnerable to the conspiracy theories and lacking HLOC related to powerful others.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.717960/fullCOVID-19pandemicsvaccinationwillingness to get vaccinatedconspiracy theorieshealth locus of control |
| spellingShingle | Vojtech Pisl Jan Volavka Edita Chvojkova Katerina Cechova Katerina Cechova Gabriela Kavalirova Jan Vevera Jan Vevera Willingness to Vaccinate Against COVID-19: The Role of Health Locus of Control and Conspiracy Theories Frontiers in Psychology COVID-19 pandemics vaccination willingness to get vaccinated conspiracy theories health locus of control |
| title | Willingness to Vaccinate Against COVID-19: The Role of Health Locus of Control and Conspiracy Theories |
| title_full | Willingness to Vaccinate Against COVID-19: The Role of Health Locus of Control and Conspiracy Theories |
| title_fullStr | Willingness to Vaccinate Against COVID-19: The Role of Health Locus of Control and Conspiracy Theories |
| title_full_unstemmed | Willingness to Vaccinate Against COVID-19: The Role of Health Locus of Control and Conspiracy Theories |
| title_short | Willingness to Vaccinate Against COVID-19: The Role of Health Locus of Control and Conspiracy Theories |
| title_sort | willingness to vaccinate against covid 19 the role of health locus of control and conspiracy theories |
| topic | COVID-19 pandemics vaccination willingness to get vaccinated conspiracy theories health locus of control |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.717960/full |
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