Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-cjp7w Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-17T08:00:30.764Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Willingness to vaccinate against COVID-19: the role of health locus of control and conspiracy theories

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

V. Pisl*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital in Pilsen, Charles University, Department Of Psychiatry, Plzen, Czech Republic
J. Vevera
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University, Department Of Psychiatry, Plzen, Czech Republic
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Introduction

Understanding the predictors of the willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 may aid in the resolution of current and future pandemics.Understanding the predictors of the willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19 may aid in the resolution of current and future pandemics.

Objectives

We aim to investigate how the readiness to believe conspiracy theories and the three dimensions of health locus of control affect the attitude towards vaccination.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted based on data from an online survey of a sample of Czech university students (n=866) collected in January 2021, using multivariate linear regression models and moderation analysis.

Results

Sixty-six percent of Czech students wanted to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Forty percent of the variance of willingness to get vaccinated was explained by the belief in covid-related conspiracy theories and the powerful others dimension of health locus of control. One sixth of the variance of the willingness to get vaccinated was explained by health locus of control, cognitive reflection, and digital health literacy.

Conclusions

Health locus of control and conspiracy mentality and its predictors are valid predictors of a hesitancy to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Campaigns promoting vaccination should target groups specifically vulnerable to conspiracy theories and lacking health locus of control related to powerful others.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.