Predictors of the Intention to Be Vaccinated against COVID-19 in a Sample of Italian Respondents at the Start of the Immunization Campaign

Abstract

COVID-19 vaccines are the most promising means of limiting the pandemic. The present study aims at determining the roles of several psychological variables in predicting vaccination intention in Italy. An online questionnaire was disseminated between 9 March and 9 May 2021. The sample included 971 participants. Results showed that most of the participants were willing to vaccinate. Acceptance rates were correlated with age, marital status, and area of residence. Intention to be vaccinated was positively correlated with perceived risk, pro-sociality, fear of COVID-19, use of preventive behaviors, and trust in government, in science, and in medical professionals. Intention to be vaccinated was negatively associated with belief in misinformation. The degree of acceptance is likely to be a result of the campaign tailored to address people’s negative attitudes towards vaccines. Trust in government and trust in science were among the strongest psychological predictors of vaccination intention. Fear of COVID-19, but not perceived risk, was associated with increased vaccine uptake, suggesting that the affective component of risk perception was more important than the cognitive component in predicting participants’ behaviors. Belief in misinformation was associated with reduced vaccination intention. Future studies will take into consideration these variables, to better understand the multifaceted process underlying vaccination intention.

Acceptance towards COVID-19 vaccination in Latin America and the Caribbean: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…When contrasting with other regions, the prevalence of VI found in our study was relatively higher or similar to that found in some studies conducted in European and Asian countries such as Italy (ranging from 40.1% to 78.5%) [ 42 , 43 ], France (ranging from 30.5% to 77.6%) [ 44 , 45 ], Greece (ranging from 62% to 84.8%) [ 46 , 47 ], Germany (ranging from 58% to 70%) [ 48 , 49 ], UK (ranging from 64% to 73.5%) [ 50 , 51 ], China (ranging from 28.7% to 82%) [ 52 , 53 ], or Bangladesh (ranging from 26% to 65.5%) [ 54 , 55 ]. Likewise, South Africa reported a VI lower than our estimate for LAC [ 56 ].…”

Trust in Science as a Possible Mediator between Different Antecedents and COVID-19 Booster Vaccination Intention: An Integration of Health Belief Model (HBM) and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)

“…Finally, it is necessary to highlight, in line with other evidence in Italy, among the socio-demographic variables, the effect on the intention to vaccine of the educational qualification and the number of vaccines already made [95]. Compared to previous research in the same context, the results of this study, on the one hand, clearly confirm that the Italian is a population, compared to others, which has shown great compliance with vaccination and a high vaccination intention [126,127].…”

“I Did My Own Research”: Overconfidence, (Dis)trust in Science, and Endorsement of Conspiracy Theories

“…A typical example is the Big Pharma conspiracy theory that flourished even before the COVID-19 pandemic, and what the research showed is that the fears over side effects and "unnatural" substances in vaccines are inextricably intertwined with the suspicion of the profit motive in healthcare (Paul et al, 2020). In the context of COVID-19, both conspiracy mentality and the anti-scientific sentiments are shown to negatively predict guideline adherence and vaccine intentions (Bertin et al, 2020;Marinthe et al, 2020;Hromatko et al, 2021;Santirocchi et al, 2022). Evidently, anti-scientific rhetoric bears serious consequences for both, individual health and health of the community.…”