scholarly journals Unwillingness to engage in behaviors that protect against COVID-19: the role of conspiracy beliefs, trust, and endorsement of complementary and alternative medicine

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Soveri ◽  
Linda C. Karlsson ◽  
Jan Antfolk ◽  
Mikael Lindfelt ◽  
Stephan Lewandowsky

Abstract Background We investigated if people’s response to the official recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with conspiracy beliefs related to COVID-19, a distrust in the sources providing information on COVID-19, and an endorsement of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Methods The sample consisted of 1325 Finnish adults who filled out an online survey marketed on Facebook. Structural regression analysis was used to investigate whether: 1) conspiracy beliefs, a distrust in information sources, and endorsement of CAM predict people’s response to the non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) implemented by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2) conspiracy beliefs, a distrust in information sources, and endorsement of CAM are related to people’s willingness to take a COVID-19 vaccine. Results Individuals with more conspiracy beliefs and a lower trust in information sources were less likely to have a positive response to the NPIs. Individuals with less trust in information sources and more endorsement of CAM were more unwilling to take a COVID-19 vaccine. Distrust in information sources was the strongest and most consistent predictor in all models. Our analyses also revealed that some of the people who respond negatively to the NPIs also have a lower likelihood to take the vaccine. This association was partly related to a lower trust in information sources. Conclusions Distrusting the establishment to provide accurate information, believing in conspiracy theories, and endorsing treatments and substances that are not part of conventional medicine, are all associated with a more negative response to the official guidelines during COVID-19. How people respond to the guidelines, however, is more strongly and consistently related to the degree of trust they feel in the information sources, than to their tendency to hold conspiracy beliefs or endorse CAM. These findings highlight the need for governments and health authorities to create communication strategies that build public trust.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Soveri ◽  
Linda C. Karlsson ◽  
Jan Antfolk ◽  
Mikael Lindfelt ◽  
Stephan Lewandowsky

Background: We investigated if people’s unwillingness to comply with the official recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic is driven by conspiracy beliefs, state reactance, a distrust in information sources, and an endorsement of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Methods: The sample consisted of 1325 Finnish adults who filled out an online survey marketed on Facebook. Structural regression analysis was used to investigate whether: 1) conspiracy beliefs, state reactance, a distrust in information sources, and endorsement of CAM predict people’s willingness to adhere to the non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) implemented by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 2) conspiracy beliefs, a distrust in information sources and endorsement of CAM are related to people’s willingness to take a COVID-19 vaccine. Results: Individuals with higher state reactance, a lower trust in information sources and more endorsement of CAM were less likely to comply with the NPIs. Individuals with less trust in information sources and more endorsement of CAM were also more unwilling to take a COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusions: Responding with state reactance towards government measures, distrusting the establishment to provide accurate information, and endorsing treatments and substances that are not part of conventional medicine, are associated with a lower intent to engage in health protective behavior during COVID-19. These findings highlight the need for governments and health authorities to create communication strategies that build public trust and minimize the risk of reactance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii303-iii304
Author(s):  
Fatma El-Khouly ◽  
Syed Adil ◽  
Harry Hendrikse ◽  
Gertjan Kaspers ◽  
Christof Kramm ◽  
...  

Abstract INTRODUCTION Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a rare and aggressive childhood brainstem malignancy with a two-year survival rate of ≤10%. In this international survey study we aim to evaluate the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in this patient population. METHODS Parents of-, and physicians treating DIPG patients were asked to participate in a retrospective online survey with questions regarding CAM use during time of illness. RESULTS 120 parents and 75 physicians contributed to the online survey between January and May 2020. Physicians estimated that <50% of their patients used CAM, whereas 69% of the parents reported to have used CAM to treat their child during time of illness. Cannabis was the most widely used form of CAM, followed by vitamins and minerals, melatonin, curcumin and boswellic acid. CAM was mainly used to actively treat the tumor. Other motivations were to treat side effects of chemotherapy, or to comfort the child. Children diagnosed ≥2016 were more likely to use CAM (χ2=6.08, p=0.014). No significant difference was found between CAM users and non-users based on ethnicity (χ2=4.18, p=0.382) and country of residence (χ2=9.37, p=0.154). Almost 50% of the physicians do not frequently ask their patients about possible CAM use. CONCLUSION This survey demonstrates that worldwide a considerable number of DIPG patients use CAM. Physicians should be more aware of potential CAM use and more actively discuss the topic. More research is needed to gain knowledge about possible anticancer effects of CAM and their interactions with conventional therapies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (16) ◽  
pp. 105-111
Author(s):  
Wan Ismahanisa Ismail ◽  
Mohamed Azmi Ahmad Hassali ◽  
Maryam Farooqui ◽  
Muhammad Nabil Fikri Roslan ◽  
Nazri Che Dom

Background: This study explores thalassemia patients' perceptions concerning the effectiveness of conventional therapies for Thalassemia healthcare. Method: The semi-structured interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. Results: Nearly all thalassemia patients reported to have relied on conventional treatment methods to treat and reduce the severity of their disease. Few patients reported not to comply with their treatment procedures due to fear of infection through blood transfusion, surgery and organ failure. Conclusions: In conclusion, patients showed positive views about the conventional therapies carried out for Thalassemia. Keywords:: Thalassemia; qualitative; conventional; complementary and alternative medicine eISSN: 2398-4287© 2021. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v6i16.2665


2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 304-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jutta Huebner ◽  
Franz J. Prott ◽  
Oliver Micke ◽  
Ralf Muecke ◽  
Bianca Senf ◽  
...  

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 153-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anske Robinson ◽  
Janice Chesters ◽  
Simon Cooper

This article explores whether complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) users view CAM as a unified concept or individualize the modalities. A survey about the beliefs and concerns surrounding the use of 22 CAM modalities was posted to a random sample of 1,308 people in five rural and two metropolitan localities in Victoria, Australia. The response rate was 40% (n = 459). Overall, 91% of respondents were found to either have used one CAM modality (85%, n = 386) or be open to future use (6%, n = 33). Respondents did not view CAM as a unified concept. Each modality was used by people with different characteristics and beliefs about health care. However, it was practical to divide the 22 CAM modalities into four categories that we have named natural remedy, wellness, accepted, and established modalities. The four categories lie along a set of continua extending from natural remedy modalities and ‘‘holistic health care’’ beliefs at one end to established modalities and a belief in the tenets of conventional medicine at the other. We were able to develop a model to show this diagrammatically.


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