Superstitious Thinking and its Relation to the Extent of Parents’ Acceptance of their Children Receiving the Coronavirus (Covid-19) Vaccine

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed at identifying superstitious thinking and its relation to the extent of parents’ acceptance of their children receiving the Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine.
 Methods: The descriptive approach was used, and responses of 277 individuals on a scale of superstitious thinking were recorded and analyzed by calculating the arithmetic means and standard deviations of the scale items followed by t-test analysis.
 Results: The results of this study indicated that there are nine statistically significant relations between the gender of the parents in Hafr Al-Batin and their level of beliefs in superstitious thinking. Specifically, seven relations showed that fathers' beliefs in superstitious thinking are stronger than the mothers' beliefs. Further, thirteen statistically significant relations are found among the conviction of parents in Hafr Al-Batin that their children receive the Coronavirus vaccine and the number of doses, and the beliefs in superstitious thinking. Furthermore, two relations showed that the more parents in Hafr Al-Batin believe in superstitious thinking, the more they are not convinced that their children would receive the Coronavirus vaccine, and of giving them multiple doses.
 Conclusions: The results recommended involvingluential figures in societies to correct some superstitious beliefs, and to conduct more studies on superstitious thinking and link it to other variables such as educational level and residential area or age group.