Beyond binary: a machine-learning classification of childhood COVID-19 vaccination intentions using behavioural data.

BackgroundIn spring 2021, several countries, among which the Netherlands, suspended vaccinations against COVID-19 with the Vaxzevria vaccine from AstraZeneca (AZ) after reports of rare but severe adverse events (SAE). We investigated the impact of this news and the suspension on the Dutch public’s COVID-19 vaccination intentions, COVID-19 vaccination perceptions (attitudes and feelings) and their trust in the government’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign.MethodsWe conducted two surveys (N = 2628), one shortly before the AZ suspension in the Netherlands and one shortly thereafter when all vaccinations were resumed. Chi2 tests were conducted to study changes in COVID-19 vaccination perceptions, intentions and trust before and after the suspension, and differences between perceptions and intentions regarding AZ vaccines compared to COVID-19 vaccines in general. All variables were measured on a 5-point Likert scale.ResultsNo significant changes were observed in COVID-19 vaccination perceptions and intentions, but trust in the campaign declined slightly (mean diff.(ΔM)=-0.2, 95% CI=-0.3/-0.2). In addition, compared to COVID-19 vaccinations in general, respondents were less likely to vaccinate with AZ (ΔM=-0.7, 95% CI=-0.7/-0.7), reported less positive vaccine attitudes (ΔM=-0.7, 95% CI=-0.7/-0.7), and more negative feelings (ΔM=0.5, 95% CI = 0.4/0.5).ConclusionsThe news on SAE and the AZ suspension might have caused a decline in trust in the government’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign, as well as negatively impacted AZ vaccination perceptions and intentions. These results stress the need to adapt vaccination policies to anticipated public perceptions and responses following a vaccine safety scare, as well as the importance of informing citizens about the possibility of very rare SAE prior to the introduction of novel vaccines.Key messages• Trust in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign declined following the news on rare but severe adverse events (SAE) and the suspension of AstraZeneca vaccines.• While the news on SAE and the vaccination suspension did not seem to impact COVID-19 vaccination intentions in general, intentions to vaccinate with AstraZeneca were considerably lower.

The COVID-19 pandemic spotlighted Black Americans' inequitable health care experiences. Across two studies, we tested the associations between health care experiences, historical knowledge of medical mistreatment, medical trust, and COVID-19 vaccination intention and uptake in Black and White Americans. We hypothesized that Black Americans' worse current health care experiences (rather than historical knowledge) and lower medical trust would be associated with lower COVID-19 vaccination intention (Study 1) and that feeling less cared for by their personal physician would be associated with Black Americans' lower medical trust (Study 2). In convenience (Study 1, December 2020) and nationally representative samples (Study 2, March-April 2021), participants completed online surveys. In Study 1 (N = 297), Black (relative to White) Americans reported lower vaccination intention (Cohen's d = -.55, p < .001) and lower medical trust (Cohen's d = -.72, p < .001). Additionally, less positive health care experiences among Black participants (Cohen's d = -.33, p = .022) were associated with less medical trust and in turn lower vaccination intention. Tuskegee Study knowledge was not associated with vaccination intention or medical trust. Study 2 (N = 12,757) data revealed no statistically significant racial differences in COVID-19 vaccination receipt or intention. Black (relative to White) Americans reported feeling less cared for by their personal physician (Cohen's d = -.44, p < .001), which was associated with lower medical trust (Cohen's d = -.51, p < .001). Findings highlight factors that may contribute to Black Americans' vaccination hesitancy and medical trust. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Post-traumatic headache (PTH) is a challenging clinical condition to identify and treat as it integrates multiple subjectively defined symptoms with underlying physiological processes. The precise mechanisms underlying PTH are unclear, and it remains to be understood how to integrate the patient experience with underlying biology when attempting to classify persons with PTH, particularly in the pediatric setting where patient self-report may be highly variable. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the use of different machine learning (ML) classifiers to differentiate pediatric and young adult subjects with PTH from healthy controls using behavioral data from self-report questionnaires that reflect concussion symptoms, mental health, pain experience of the participants, and structural brain imaging from cortical and sub-cortical locations. Behavioral data, alongside brain imaging, survived data reduction methods and both contributed toward final models. Behavioral data that contributed towards the final model included both the child and parent perspective of the pain-experience. Brain imaging features produced two unique clusters that reflect regions that were previously found in mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and PTH. Affinity-based propagation analysis demonstrated that behavioral data remained independent relative to neuroimaging data that suggest there is a role for both behavioral and brain imaging data when attempting to classify children with PTH.

Linking the behavioral immune system to COVID-19 vaccination intention: The mediating role of the need for cognitive closure and vaccine hesitancy

Identifying variables was the goal of this investigation. Affecting Plans to vaccinate against COVID-19 and to investigate the mediating and moderating effects of perception of vulnerability to adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines examines the connection between apprehension over COVID-19 as well as vaccination intentions among Korean adults in their 20s. Participants in this study included 161 South Korean 20-something adolescents who were surveyed using an online questionnaire. COVID-19 vaccination intentions differed significantly by gender (t = 10.291, p = .001), occupation (t = 5.430, p = .021), searching for information (t = 6.455 p = .012), number of vaccinations (t = 22.671), p &lt; .001), the dread of COVID-19 (β = .224, p = .002). COVID-19 vaccination intentions in the participants were significantly positively correlated with and apprehension of COVID-19 (r = .251, p &lt;.01) as well as imagined vulnerability to the vaccine’s unfavorable outcomes (r = .362, p &lt; .001). Perceived sensitivity to COVID-19's negative consequences vaccines moderated the connection among COVID-19 anxiety as well as COVID-19 vaccination intentions (b = -.036, 95% CI [-0.07, -0.01], t = - 2.473, p = .015), however, it had no mediating consequence (b = -0.02, 95% CI [-0.06, -0.02]). Vaccination intentions were significantly higher in those with low (b = 0.264, 95% CI [0.143, 0.385], t = 4.316, p &lt; .001) and average (b = 0.191. 95% CI [0.197, 0.286], t = 3.993, p &lt; .001) perceived susceptibility to the adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines. Therefore, it is necessary to share the country’s reliable information and adopt appropriate follow-up measures for the adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccines that can lower perceived susceptibility to the vaccine’s adverse effects among adults in their 20s. In addition, the recommendations for further studies the link between aversion to COVID-19 or vaccinations plus various factors distressing COVID-19 vaccination intentions according to age, and further studies regarding factors affecting estimated sensitivity to COVID-19's detrimental consequences and ways to control them are also suggested.

Impact of perceived neighborhood social cohesion on vaccination intentions in the post-pandemic era

ObjectiveThe study objective is to measure the influence of psychological antecedents of vaccination on COVID-19 vaccine intention among citizens of the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO).MethodsA population-based online survey was implemented by the MNO when COVID-19 vaccines were approved in Canada. Questions included vaccine intention, the short version of the “5C” psychological antecedents of vaccination scale (confidence, complacency, constraint, calculation, collective responsibility), and socio-demographics. Census sampling via the MNO Registry was used achieving a 39% response rate. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, and multinomial logistic regression models (adjusted for sociodemographic variables) were used to analyze the survey data.ResultsThe majority of MNO citizens (70.2%) planned to be vaccinated. As compared with vaccine-hesitant individuals, respondents with vaccine intention were more confident in the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, believed that COVID-19 is severe, were willing to protect others from getting COVID-19, and would research the vaccines (Confident OR = 19.4, 95% CI 15.5–24.2; Complacency OR = 6.21, 95% CI 5.38–7.18; Collective responsibility OR = 9.83, 95% CI 8.24–11.72; Calculation OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.28–1.59). Finally, respondents with vaccine intention were less likely to let everyday stress prevent them from getting COVID-19 vaccines (OR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.42–0.53) compared to vaccine-hesitant individuals.ConclusionThis research contributes to the knowledge base for Métis health and supported the MNO’s information sharing and educational activities during the COVID-19 vaccines rollout. Future research will examine the relationship between the 5Cs and actual uptake of COVID-19 vaccines among MNO citizens.

In the context of the COVID-19 response, this study presents an illustrated dataset to examine trust, COVID-19 risk perception, COVID-19 vaccination perception, subject norms, social media and intention to vaccinate among Vietnamese. Our questionnaire was conducted in Vietnamese and then translated into English and distributed to respondents through email and Facebook from June to July 2021, gathering 329 responses. Participation was voluntary, and participants were allowed to withdraw from the survey at any time. Data analysis was carried out using the SPSS 24.0 and Smart PLS 3.0 software packages following data cleansing and coding. The data summarizes respondents' socio-economic and demographic characteristics, and Statistical techniques were deployed to assess the validity and reliability of scales relating to COVID-19 vaccination intention in Vietnam. Additionally, these data will contribute to the existing literature about COVID-19 vaccination perceptions and intention to vaccinate among Vietnamese.

Influenza vaccine uptake, COVID-19 vaccination intention and vaccine hesitancy among nurses: A survey

In 2020, the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for two COVID-19 vaccines. Two years later, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that more than 250 million individuals had received at least one dose of the vaccine. Despite the large numbers of individuals vaccinated against COVID-19, partisan differences surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine emerged, creating a potential challenge for health communications aimed at increasing vaccine uptake. A better understanding of partisan differences in attitudes and intentions towards vaccination may help guide public health strategies aimed at increasing vaccine uptake. To determine whether a commonly used theory of behavioral intentions used to craft public health messages explains partisan differences in intentions. Data were drawn from a national panel of US adults and collected between February 21, 2022, and March 3, 2022, using an online survey (n = 1845). Among respondents identifying as either Democrat or Republican (n = 1466), path analysis models were estimated to test whether partisan differences in vaccination or booster intentions were explained by the theoretical constructs of protection motivation theory (PMT). PMT accounted for approximately half of the covariate-adjusted mean difference in COVID-19 vaccination intentions between Democrats and Republicans, and nearly all the mean difference in booster intentions. Party affiliation indirectly affected intentions via its association with perceived susceptibility to COVID-19, vaccine/booster efficacy, and perceived costs of getting a COVID-19 vaccine or booster dose. Compared with Democrats, Republicans may be less likely to get vaccinated or receive a booster dose because of beliefs that they are less susceptible to COVID-19, that the vaccine is less effective, and that vaccination comes with disadvantages. Theories of behavioral intentions can help to identify the underlying theoretical determinants driving behavioral differences between political groups.

Examining the direct and indirect effects of trust in motivating COVID-19 vaccine uptake

BackgroundCOVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is known to be more pronounced among young people. However, there are a lack of studies examining determinants of COVID-19 vaccination intention in the general population in this young age-group in Switzerland, and in particular, studies investigating the influence of information sources and social networks on vaccination intention are missing. MethodsThe cross-sectional study “COVIDisc – Discussion with young people about the corona pandemic” provided the opportunity to investigate COVID-19 vaccination intention in 893 individuals aged 15–34 years from the cantons of Zurich, Thurgau, and Ticino in Switzerland. An online survey was administered between 10 November 2020 and 5 January 2021. Associations of public information sources and conversations about COVID-19 with COVID-19 vaccination intention were analyzed with multivariable logistic regression and mediation analysis using generalized structural equation modeling. Results51.5% of the participants intended or probably intended to get vaccinated once the vaccine would be available. Using print or online news (AOR 1.50, 95% CI 1.09–2.07) as an information source and having conversations about the COVID-19 vaccine (AOR 2.09, 95% CI 1.52–2.87) increased participants' COVID-19 vaccination intention. The effects of female gender (b = −0.267, p = 0.039) and risk perception (b = 0.163, p = 0.028) were partially mediated by having conversations about the COVID-19 vaccine. The effects of age (b = −0.036, p = 0.016), secondary educational level (b = 0.541, p = 0.010) and tertiary educational level (b = 0.726, p = 0.006) were fully mediated via having conversations about the COVID-19 vaccine. ConclusionsConversations and campaigns should start even before vaccines become available. Our data support interventions for young women and less educated people using social norms and supporting information seeking with news. Trust and risk perceptions are essential foundations for vaccine intentions.

Communication with family members about the COVID-19 vaccine may play an important role in vaccination decisions, especially among young people. This study examined the association between family communication about the COVID-19 vaccine and vaccination intention. Participants were Black/African Americans aged 18–30 years (N = 312) recruited through an online survey in June 2020. We assessed family communication, vaccine attitudes, perceived norms, outcome expectancies, and vaccination intention. More than half (62%) of the participants had talked to family members about the vaccine. Females were more likely than males to have engaged in family communication (63% vs. 59%) (p. > .05). Family communication, injunctive norms, and descriptive norms were significantly (p. < .01) associated with vaccination intention. Family communication was the strongest predictor of intention.Promoting discussions about vaccinations between young Black adults and their families may increase the likelihood of adopting positive vaccination beliefs and influencing vaccine decision-making.

As COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy remains a major public health issue, understanding the factors influencing attitudes and COVID-19 vaccination intentions is a public health priority. Applying the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study examined the role of two forms of social trust – namely, particularized trust toward relationally close others and generalized trust toward people in general – in moderating the relationship between social norms (injunctive and descriptive) and COVID-19 vaccination attitudes and intent. In two studies (n = 235 for Study 1, n = 273 for Study 2, total N = 508), we found some support for the TPB in the context of COVID-19 vaccination, with attitudes and injunctive norms significantly predicting vaccination intention. However, perceived behavioral control was not a significant predictor of COVID-19 vaccination intention. Extending the TPB, we found that trust in others had an amplifying effect on the relationship between descriptive norms and COVID-19 vaccination attitudes. However, trust attenuated the link between injunctive norms and attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination. The implications of these findings are discussed.

COVID-19 vaccine behaviors and intentions among a national sample of United States adults ages 18–45