Vaccine Acceptance and Its Influencing Factors: An Online Cross-Sectional Study among International College Students Studying in China

Abstract

Background: With the continuous large-scale development of the COVID-19 vaccine, the acceptance of vaccination and its influencing factors at the individual level have become crucial to stemming the pandemic. This study aims to explore the factors that influence the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine among international college students. Methods: The target population constituted international students pursuing various degrees in Jiangsu Province through an online cross-sectional study. A cluster random sampling was performed using a self-administered questionnaire. The Health Belief Model and Knowledge, Attitude/Beliefs, and Practice Theory served as the underlying theories to understanding the factors that influence vaccine acceptance. Results: We received 330 responses. About 36.4% intended to accept the vaccine. The acceptance varied across respondents’ place of residence, program of study, continent of origin, knowledge, susceptibility, severity, benefits, and cues to action (p < 0.05). A multivariable logistics regression revealed cues to action (p < 0.001), the perception of COVID-19 vaccination benefits (p = 0.002), and the perception of barriers (p < 0.001) that were associated with vaccine acceptance. Conclusions: The acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine was low among international students. The correct and comprehensive beliefs of the target groups regarding the benefits and barriers of the vaccination must be raised. Various effective social strategies must be adopted to trigger the intention of COVID-19 vaccination. The study findings will inform the decisions of public health campaigners, aimed at reducing vaccine hesitation when the COVID-19 vaccine is widely available.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Italian University Students: A Cross-Sectional Survey during the First Months of the Vaccination Campaign

“…Among the factors explored, a few findings contrasted with the literature. Whereas it has been reported that either female respondents are less likely to intend to vaccinate [12,15] or there is no association with gender [21,33,34], in our study male participants were more likely to be hesitant. In addition, while in the general population different rates of hesitancy have been found according to the country studied [12], we did not detect any difference in terms of nationality, probably reflecting a mitigation of attitudes due to all our respondents being exposed to the same Italian environment.…”

Attitudes, acceptance and hesitancy among the general population worldwide to receive the COVID-19 vaccines and their contributing factors: A systematic review

“…Provinces in China, on the other hand, report variable results. In Mainland China, Shanghai and Shenzhen, people expressed high intention to vaccinate(with acceptance rates higher than 80%), while the proportion of affirmative population was considerably lower in Hong Kong [46] , Wuxi [47] and Jiangsu province [48] (34.8%, 51.2% and 36.4%, respectively). It should be noted that the surveys were conducted in different time points, which might have imposed an effect on the final results.…”

Prevalence and Drivers of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Czech University Students: National Cross-Sectional Study

“…Non-Czech students had a substantially higher level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance (79.9%) compared to international students in China (36.4%) where the international students were challenged by various barriers for getting vaccinated, including the potential side effects, vaccine availability, interrupting their routine activities, and insufficient knowledge about vaccine safety [ 56 ]. In Qatar, citizens were 1.68 times ( CI 95%: 1.30–2.16; Sig.…”