Factors influencing COVID-19 vaccination intention: The roles of vaccine knowledge, vaccine risk perception, and doctor-patient communication.
Han Zheng, Shaohai Jiang, Qiaofei Wu
PMID 34565643WHAT IT FOUND
US adults who felt likely to get COVID-19 vaccine side effects were less willing to vaccinate.
More vaccine knowledge did not directly raise intention, but was linked to lower perceived side-effect risk, and this link was stronger with better doctor-patient communication.
Key findings
01Perceived susceptibility to vaccine side effects was negatively associated with vaccination intention (β = −0.19, p < .001).
02Vaccine knowledge was not directly associated with vaccination intention (β = −0.07, p = .06), but it was associated with lower perceived susceptibility (β = −0.15, p < .001) and lower perceived severity (β = −0.09, p = .01).
03Doctor-patient communication was associated with stronger negative links between vaccine knowledge and perceived susceptibility (β = −0.13, p < .001) and perceived severity (β = −0.12, p < .001).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it can show associations at one time but cannot prove that vaccine knowledge, risk perception, or communication caused changes in vaccination intention. Participants came from an online panel, and the response rate was 25.8%, so people who did not respond or lack internet access may not be represented. The vaccine knowledge scale was self-developed and had 8 true/false items, so it may not capture all relevant knowledge. The study examined only perceived susceptibility and severity as mediators, not other factors such as perceived vaccine effectiveness.
Declared interests
The authors declared no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that giving patients vaccine facts will directly increase their intention to vaccinate. In this survey, vaccine knowledge was not directly associated with vaccination intention (β = −0.07, p = .06), and the design cannot show cause.