Hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination: The role of personality traits, anti-vaccine attitudes and illness perception

There is an increased need for COVID-19 vaccination since the world is gradually returning to normal. Current evidence supports vaccination activity more towards viral suppression than COVID-19 prevention. This has led to divergent views regarding vaccination which may influence anti-vaccine attitud...

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Main Authors: Eric Nanteer-Oteng, Irene A. Kretchy, Deborah Odum Nanteer, James-Paul Kretchy, Joseph Osafo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2022-01-01
Series:PLOS Global Public Health
Online Access:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10021484/?tool=EBI
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author Eric Nanteer-Oteng
Irene A. Kretchy
Deborah Odum Nanteer
James-Paul Kretchy
Joseph Osafo
author_facet Eric Nanteer-Oteng
Irene A. Kretchy
Deborah Odum Nanteer
James-Paul Kretchy
Joseph Osafo
author_sort Eric Nanteer-Oteng
collection DOAJ
description There is an increased need for COVID-19 vaccination since the world is gradually returning to normal. Current evidence supports vaccination activity more towards viral suppression than COVID-19 prevention. This has led to divergent views regarding vaccination which may influence anti-vaccine attitudes and vaccine hesitancy. The study examined the role of personality traits, anti-vaccine attitudes and illness perceptions on vaccine hesitancy. The study was a cross-sectional survey using snowball and convenience sampling to recruit 492 participants via social media platforms. Multivariate analysis of variance and regression analysis were used to test the hypotheses. The study found that some facets of illness perception (identity, concern, emotional representation and treatment control), extraversion, experience with COVID-19 and anti-vaccine attitudes (mistrust, profiteering, worries about unforeseen effects of vaccine) predicted vaccine hesitancy. The outcomes from this study have implications for achieving public health goals and developing strategies for reaching optimal vaccination targets and attaining herd immunity. Health-promoting programs need to be intensified and could include psychosocial perspectives on vaccine hesitancy so that specific target groups can be reached to be vaccinated.
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spelling doaj.art-da2efc0aade14cf8bbc95c6347af1ba12023-09-03T10:37:07ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLOS Global Public Health2767-33752022-01-01212Hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination: The role of personality traits, anti-vaccine attitudes and illness perceptionEric Nanteer-OtengIrene A. KretchyDeborah Odum NanteerJames-Paul KretchyJoseph OsafoThere is an increased need for COVID-19 vaccination since the world is gradually returning to normal. Current evidence supports vaccination activity more towards viral suppression than COVID-19 prevention. This has led to divergent views regarding vaccination which may influence anti-vaccine attitudes and vaccine hesitancy. The study examined the role of personality traits, anti-vaccine attitudes and illness perceptions on vaccine hesitancy. The study was a cross-sectional survey using snowball and convenience sampling to recruit 492 participants via social media platforms. Multivariate analysis of variance and regression analysis were used to test the hypotheses. The study found that some facets of illness perception (identity, concern, emotional representation and treatment control), extraversion, experience with COVID-19 and anti-vaccine attitudes (mistrust, profiteering, worries about unforeseen effects of vaccine) predicted vaccine hesitancy. The outcomes from this study have implications for achieving public health goals and developing strategies for reaching optimal vaccination targets and attaining herd immunity. Health-promoting programs need to be intensified and could include psychosocial perspectives on vaccine hesitancy so that specific target groups can be reached to be vaccinated.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10021484/?tool=EBI
spellingShingle Eric Nanteer-Oteng
Irene A. Kretchy
Deborah Odum Nanteer
James-Paul Kretchy
Joseph Osafo
Hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination: The role of personality traits, anti-vaccine attitudes and illness perception
PLOS Global Public Health
title Hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination: The role of personality traits, anti-vaccine attitudes and illness perception
title_full Hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination: The role of personality traits, anti-vaccine attitudes and illness perception
title_fullStr Hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination: The role of personality traits, anti-vaccine attitudes and illness perception
title_full_unstemmed Hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination: The role of personality traits, anti-vaccine attitudes and illness perception
title_short Hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination: The role of personality traits, anti-vaccine attitudes and illness perception
title_sort hesitancy towards covid 19 vaccination the role of personality traits anti vaccine attitudes and illness perception
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10021484/?tool=EBI
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