scholarly journals Predictors of Vaccine Hesitancy: Implications for COVID-19 Public Health Messaging

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (15) ◽  
pp. 8054
Author(s):  
Amanda Hudson ◽  
William J. Montelpare
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Individual Difference ◽  
Search Strategy ◽  
Strategic Communication ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Public Confidence ◽  
Health Campaigns ◽  
Immunization Rates ◽  
Public Health Campaigns

Objectives: Successful immunization programs require strategic communication to increase confidence among individuals who are vaccine-hesitant. This paper reviews research on determinants of vaccine hesitancy with the objective of informing public health responses to COVID-19. Method: A literature review was conducted using a broad search strategy. Articles were included if they were published in English and relevant to the topic of demographic and individual factors associated with vaccine hesitancy. Results and Discussion: Demographic determinants of vaccine hesitancy that emerged in the literature review were age, income, educational attainment, health literacy, rurality, and parental status. Individual difference factors included mistrust in authority, disgust sensitivity, and risk aversion. Conclusion: Meeting target immunization rates will require robust public health campaigns that speak to individuals who are vaccine-hesitant in their attitudes and behaviours. Based on the assortment of demographic and individual difference factors that contribute to vaccine hesitancy, public health communications must pursue a range of strategies to increase public confidence in available COVID-19 vaccines.

scholarly journals Public Health Campaigns and Medicine Use Awareness: A Systematic Literature Review

Health ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 09 (12) ◽  
pp. 1689-1710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahsa Ranjbar ◽  
Zoe Aslanpour ◽  
Andrzej Kostrzewski ◽  
Andrew David Cooke
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Health Campaigns ◽  
Medicine Use ◽  
Public Health Campaigns

scholarly journals Psychological, social, and situational factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination intentions: A study of UK key workers and non-key workers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Butter ◽  
Emily McGlinchey ◽  
Emma Berry ◽  
Cherie Armour
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Asymptomatic Infection ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Health Campaigns ◽  
Perceptions Of Risk ◽  
Global Priority ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Public Health Campaigns

Although behavioural strategies (e.g. social distancing) have been effective in limiting the transmission of the infectious respiratory disease COVID-19, a longer- term solution, such as the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, is a global priority. Worryingly, vaccine hesitancy (i.e. the delay in acceptance or refusal of a vaccination despite its availability) is a growing concern and threat to public health. Perceptions of risk and symptom severity are important predictors of vaccine acceptance. As individuals working in key worker roles are considered to be at a higher risk of infection, this study sought to examine intentions to vaccinate and predictors of vaccine hesitancy in a UK sample of key workers and non-key workers. The study utilised a sample of UK adults who completed the 1-month follow up of The COVID-19 Psychological Wellbeing Study and indicated having not been previously diagnosed with COVID-19 (N = 1605). Overall, 74.2% of the sample (76.2% key workers, 73.1% non-key workers) indicated that they would accept a COVID-19 vaccine if it was available to them in future. Key workers (and in particular health and social care workers) had a higher perceived risk of becoming infected in the coming months; however, key workers and non-key workers did not differ on the perceived severity of symptoms. For key workers, being female and perceiving oneself as having relatively low risk of being infected in the next 6 months was associated with increased likelihood of vaccine hesitancy. For non-key workers, however, being aged 25-54, having a low or average income and not knowing someone diagnosed with COVID-19 were associated with hesitancy. The proportion of individuals willing to accept a vaccine is encouraging but there is much room for improvement. Educating the public on the extent of asymptomatic infection and transmission may be useful since most individuals believed that if infected that would exhibit some degree of symptomology. Given the unique predictors of vaccine hesitancy in key workers and non-key workers, public health campaigns may benefit from targeted messaging. This research provides useful early estimates on intentions to vaccinate and predictors of vaccine hesitancy; however, continued monitoring is necessary as the COVID-19 situation develops and a potential vaccine is produced.

Balancing benefits and potential risks of vaccination: the precautionary principle and the law of unintended consequences

2021 ◽  
pp. bmjebm-2021-111773
Author(s):  
David Robert Grimes
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Precautionary Principle ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Public Confidence ◽  
The Precautionary Principle ◽  
Life Saving ◽  
Potential Risks ◽  
Risk And Benefit

Vaccination is a life-saving endeavour, yet risk and uncertainty are unavoidable in science and medicine. Vaccination remains contentious in the public mind, and vaccine hesitancy is a serious public health issue. This has recently been reignited in the discussion over potential side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, and the decision by several countries to suspend measures such as the AstraZeneca vaccine. In these instances, the precautionary principle has often been invoked as a rationale, yet such heuristics do not adequately weigh potential harms against real benefits. How we analyse, communicate and react to potential harms is absolutely paramount to ensure the best decisions and outcomes for societal health, and maintaining public confidence. While balancing benefits and risks is an essential undertaking, it cannot be achieved without due consideration of several other pertinent factors, especially in the context of vaccination, where misguided or exaggerated fears have in the past imperilled public health. While well meaning, over reactions to potential hazards of vaccination and other health interventions can have unintended consequences, and cause lingering damage to public trust. In this analysis, we explore the challenges of assessing risk and benefit, and the limitations of the precautionary principle in these endeavours. When risk is unclear, cautious vigilance might be a more pragmatic and useful policy than reactionary suspensions.

scholarly journals Trustworthiness of Doctors from Public Health Campaigns

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Koed Madsen
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Message Content ◽  
Health Campaigns ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Exploratory Factor Analyses ◽  
Ethical Stance ◽  
Public Health Campaigns ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
The Impact

Previous research concerning the effectiveness of public health campaigns have explored the impact of message design, message content, communication channel choice and other aspects of such campaigns. Meta analyses reported in the literature reveal, however, that the choice of endorsers in health campaigns remains unexplored. The present study addresses this gap in the literature by studying what makes doctors from public health campaigns appear trustworthy in the eyes of the receiver. The present research examines propensity for trust as well facets of trustworthiness of such expert doctors based on a survey carried out in the UK (155 respondents). Underlying factors of trustworthiness are explored to gain more insight into the understanding of how trust may affect the public’s belief updating and the formation of intentions. Exploratory factor analyses suggest four dimensions of trustworthiness. Multiple regression analyses demonstrate that these factors explain almost 70% of the variance in the participants’ expressed trust in doctors from public health campaigns. Doctors’ ethical stance and their care for the health of the general population appear to be more important for perceived trustworthiness than their actual professional background, although their abilities and competences are closely related to ethics and benevolence. For policy makers this has important implications when selecting endorsers for public health campaigns in order to design effective health related communication, for example to combat obesity.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Tobacco Use and Efforts for Tobacco Control in The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heeje Lee ◽  
Minah Kang ◽  
Sangchul Yoon ◽  
Kee B. Park
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Tobacco Use ◽  
Republic Of Korea ◽  
World Health ◽  
Online Media ◽  
Health Campaigns ◽  
Media Content Analysis ◽  
Public Health Campaigns ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract Tobacco use is one of the main public health concerns as it causes multiple diseases. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is one of the 168 signatory countries of the World Health Organization (WHO) member states agreed to adopt the WHO Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC). However, there is lack of information regarding the tobacco use in the DPRK and the government’s efforts for tobacco control. The aim of the study was to find the prevalence of tobacco use among the DPRK people and the government’s efforts to control tobacco use among its population, through literature review combined with online media content analysis. In 2020, the prevalence of tobacco smoking in males of 15 years and older was 46.1%, whereas that in females was zero. The online media contents showed the DPRK government’s stewardship to promote population health by controlling tobacco use. Furthermore, the DPRK government has taken steps to implement the mandates of the FCTC including introduction of new laws, promotion of research, development of cessation aids, as well as public health campaigns.

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