Behavioral and psychosocial factors associated with COVID-19 skepticism in the United States

"I Heard of PrEP-I Didn't Think I Needed it." Understanding the Formation of HIV Risk Perception Among People Who Inject Drugs

Uptake of pre-exposure prophylaxis medication (PrEP) to prevent HIV among people who inject drugs (PWID) remains extremely low in the United States. West Virginia's rising HIV incidence and highest drug overdose rate in the nation makes it an important locus for opioid use and HIV risk interaction. In this pilot study we pioneered the use of Cultural Theory among PWID to understand HIV-related risk perception arising from four contrasting modes of social organization. Carried out during an HIV outbreak, we explored PrEP uptake qualitatively as a window onto risk perception. Of the 26 interviewees, 18 were HIV- and despite the medication's free availability from the health center where recruitment took place, none had taken PrEP, half considering they were not at risk. Intimate couples who showed characteristics of 'enclaves' considered the boundary around themselves protective against HIV, creating a safe space or 'invisible risk group'. Higher HIV risk was perceived among those who were housed compared to those living homeless. Beliefs about the causation of the local HIV outbreak and the validity of scientific research corresponded with characteristics of the contrasting modes of social organization and the approach is promising for informing public health interventions among PWID.

A Latent Profile Analysis of COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccine Hesitancy among Economically Marginalized Hispanic Mothers of Children under Five Years of Age in the US

Rates of COVID-19 and influenza vaccine coverage among Hispanic young children continue to be low in comparison to other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. This study utilized a person-centered approach to understand COVID-19 and influenza vaccination hesitancy for young children under the age of five among 309 economically marginalized Hispanic mothers. Drawing on the cultural health belief model, in 2022, following FDA approval of the COVID-19 vaccine for young children, a latent profile analysis was conducted from which three profiles emerged. The Low Acculturation group (Profile 1), was notable for lower acculturation, moderate cultural medical mistrust, lower access to vaccines, and higher financial security. Compared to Profile 1, the two remaining profiles had higher acculturation and lower levels of financial security, but differed in that the High Acculturation group (Profile 2) had higher vaccine accessibility and the Moderate Acculturation group (Profile 3) had higher cultural medical mistrust. Relative to other profiles, Low Acculturation mothers were more likely to plan to vaccinate their child against current and seasonal COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, report that their child's health provider recommended the COVID-19 shot and reported lower COVID-19 and influenza vaccine mistrust. However, they also reported lower vaccine accessibility and moderate levels of cultural medical mistrust. The study highlights the importance of developing person-centered public health strategies that draw on Hispanic cultural values and consider diversity within lower income Hispanic populations to increase future pediatric COVID-19 and flu vaccination coverage among young Hispanic children.

U.S. College Students' Sexual Risk Behaviors Before and During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic

The present study describes changes in young adults' sexual behaviors during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Latent class growth analyses (LCGAs) conducted with four waves of data collected between July 2019 to May 2020 in N = 775 college students (Mage = 18.61, SD = 0.33; 50.3% female, 90.2% White) revealed the presence of high- and low-risk classes in separate models for oral, vaginal, and anal sexual risk taking. As anticipated, vaginal and oral risk taking declined in spring 2020. Membership in high-risk trajectories was attributable to high COVID-19-related financial problems, early sexual debut, low self-control, and being in a romantic relationship. Other COVID-19 factors and demographic control variables were not linked to trajectory membership. Thus, while many young adults' sexual risk taking changed during the early pandemic, their perceptions of and experiences with COVID-19 were not predictive of sexual risk trajectory membership.

Covid-19 skepticism and public health norms during refugee assistance: does skepticism always lead to poor safety protocol adherence?

BACKGROUND

Skepticism about COVID-19's existence or severity has spread as fast as the disease itself, and in some populations has been shown to undermine protective public health behaviors that can mitigate infection. For populations that are especially vulnerable to COVID spread and severity, such as refugees, COVID skepticism is particularly problematic.

METHODS

We examine data collected from observations of humanitarian services provided to refugees in Lebanon, Türkiye, and Jordan to determine if skepticism is related to adherence to specific health-protective protocols (masking, social distancing, and hand sanitizing), and whether the effects of COVID skepticism are mediated by particular populations of refugees or the country in which those refugees receive assistance.

RESULTS

We found that community skepticism (the frequency of COVID skepticism expressed by others within a service location) is associated with lower adherence to certain protocols and not others. We also found that with certain protocols, the country in which refugees receive services mediates the relationship between community skepticism and protocol adherence, but for other protocols the relationship between skepticism and adherence is independent of either country in which refugees reside or the refugee population being served.

CONCLUSIONS

The existence of skepticism about COVID-19 does not always lead to an unwillingness to take protective measures to avoid infection. The mechanisms underlying the relationship between skepticism and adherence to health-protective protocols vary based on the type of protocol in question. In order to increase protocol adherence, the specific variables predicting adherence to different protocols need to be assessed in order to increase adherence and improve public health during humanitarian services.

Comparison of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination Skepticism, Reasons, and Concerns Between Mass Vaccination Centers and General Practices in Germany 2021

Introduction

The reluctance to be vaccinated against COVID-19 has significantly curbed vaccine uptake. Unlike mass vaccination centers, general practitioners (GPs) might be able to address some of the patients' concerns through their long-term doctor-patient relationship. This study compared vaccination reasons, concerns and skepticism about vaccination, and perceived importance of the vaccine and its hypothetical value between vaccination centers and GP practices.

Methods

A survey was distributed (07/2021-10/2021) among newly vaccinated individuals in ten GP practices (n = 364) and two vaccine centers (n = 474).

Results

Participants in vaccine centers stated more prosocial and benefit-oriented reasons for vaccination, whereas participants in GP practices more often stated the GP's recommendation as the reason. Perceived importance of the vaccine in combating the pandemic was rated higher among individuals at vaccine centers and with higher health awareness and self-efficacy. Participants at both types of sites who preferred a GP for vaccination expressed more vaccination skepticism, which was also related to older age, more health risk concerns related to COVID-19 vaccines, and lower perceived importance of the vaccine.

Conclusion

Our results indicate opportunities for framing future vaccination campaigns that include vaccination centers. Additionally, a rapid GP involvement in future mass vaccinations might be crucial for overcoming attitudinal barriers and achieving higher vaccine uptake.

A planned behavior theory-based explanatory model of protective behavior against COVID-19, with an age perspective

In this study, an explanatory model of protective behaviors against COVID-19 transmission based on the theory of planned behavior is tested using a sample of 904 individuals by adding two relevant variables in the COVID-19 context: skepticism and responsibility toward COVID-19 transmission. Responsibility and the intention to behave in a protective way act as mediators in predicting protective behaviors. The model is invariant between younger and older people, although some path differences were found: the perception that individuals have about the extent to which their reference group adopts protective behaviors directly influences individual protective behavior for younger but not older people, for whom subjective social norms were only indirect predictors of such behavior. Additionally, the rates in all the variables showed that the group under 35 took more risks in the context of protective behaviors against COVID-19: they exhibited more skepticism, lower behavioral control, perceived fewer positive social norms regarding protective behaviors, felt less responsible for spreading the disease, had less intention to behave in a protective way, and finally adopted fewer protective behaviors. Developers of intervention strategies and campaigns should contemplate such variables and focus on differences according to age.

Believing in science: Linking religious beliefs and identity with vaccination intentions and trust in science during the COVID-19 pandemic

Despite evidence supporting numerous scientific issues (e.g. climate change, vaccinations) many people still doubt the legitimacy of science. Moreover, individuals may be prone to scepticism about scientific findings that misalign with their ideological beliefs and identities. This research investigated whether trust in science (as well as government and media) and COVID-19 vaccination intentions varied as a function of (non)religious group identity, religiosity, religion-science compatibility beliefs, and/or political orientation in two online studies (N = 565) with university students and a Canadian community sample between January and June 2021. In both studies, vaccination intentions and trust in science varied as a function of (non)religious group identity and beliefs. Vaccine hesitancy was further linked to religiosity through a lack of trust in science. Given the ideological divides that the pandemic has exacerbated, this research has implications for informing public health strategies for relaying scientific findings to the public and encouraging vaccine uptake in culturally appropriate ways.

Temporal reliability and stability of delay discounting: A 2-year repeated assessments study of the Monetary Choice Questionnaire

The Monetary Choice Questionnaire (MCQ) is one of the most commonly used measures to assess delay discounting of reward. Reliable measurement by the MCQ is necessary for use in experimental settings or prognostic validity within clinical contexts. The present analysis expands prior work to evaluate temporal reliability and stability over an extended period, including repeated measurements, a larger and more broadly representative sample, and demonstrations of covariation with clinically significant health behaviors (e.g., cigarette use, COVID-19 vaccination, body mass index). Participants (N = 680; 55.6% female) were recruited through crowdsourcing and completed the MCQ approximately quarterly over 2 years. Measures of reliability, stability, and correlations with clinical constructs were determined for each timepoint and pairwise comparison. Test-retest reliabilities were high across all pairwise comparisons (all rxx > .75; range = .78-.86; mean = .83). Stability was also high with within-subject effect size differences all within a less-than-small effect size range (range dz = -0.09 to 0.19; mean = 0.04). Positive associations between smoking status and delay discounting rates were observed consistent with prior clinical studies. These findings of test durability support the use of MCQ administration for repeated measurement of delay-constrained choice as a stable respondent characteristic and illustrate its association with important health behaviors over extended time periods. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Trust in Health Care Providers, Anxiety, Knowledge, Adherence to Guidelines, and Mental Healthcare Needs Regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic

The mechanisms of the connections among anxiety, mental healthcare needs, and adherence to the COVID-19 pandemic guidelines are unknown. The study aims to explore model assumptions: (H1) Anxiety about COVID-19 will influence the perception of mental health needs via knowledge about COVID-19 as a mediator. (H2) Anxiety will influence adherence to guidelines via knowledge about COVID-19 as a mediator. (H3) Trust in health care will positively influence adherence to guidelines. We conducted a cross-sectional design study with a convenience sample. Participants consisted of 547 people across Israel. The questionnaire included trust in health care, anxiety, knowledge, adherence to guidelines, and mental health care needs regarding COVID-19 variables. Path analysis revealed knowledge about COVID-19 as partly mediating anxiety and mental healthcare needs during the pandemic, as well as partly mediating anxiety and adherence to the pandemic guidelines. Moreover, we found that trust in healthcare affects adherence to the pandemic guidelines. Therefore, it is important to design an intervention program for the public providing accessible, reliable information about the pandemic, including, and emphasizing mental healthcare needs and rationale of adherence to the guidelines.

Hippies Next to Right-Wing Extremists?

Abstract: To reduce the spread of COVID-19, adherence to protective measures was crucial around the world. While most complied with these measures, a vocal minority protested against them. Early reports emphasized the unusual heterogeneity of these protests: Hippies and esoterics marched alongside conspiracy theorists and neo-Nazis. We examined what these protestors might (and might not) have in common. A large study with antilockdown protestors in Germany ( N = 1,700) revealed four subgroups: centrists, politically undifferentiated, left-wingers, and right-wingers. Beyond that, these subgroups demonstrated striking similarities: All endorsed conspiracy beliefs, misinformation, esotericism, and vaccine hesitancy to a similar extent. These beliefs share that they are scientifically unfounded and epistemically unwarranted. They may unite individuals from diverse political backgrounds in the antilockdown protests.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Economically Marginalized Hispanic Parents of Children under Five Years in the United States

Hispanic children in the US have high rates of COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths. Following FDA emergency approval, COVID-19 vaccination rates for young children under five years have been alarmingly low, especially in border states with significant Hispanic populations. This study identified social and cultural determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among economically marginalized Hispanic parents of children under five. In 2022, following FDA approval, 309 Hispanic female guardians in US border states responded to an online survey assessing parental intent to vaccinate their child, demographic characteristics, COVID-19 health and vaccine beliefs, trust in traditional sources of health information, physician and community support, and acculturation to Anglo American norms. The majority (45.6%) did not intend to vaccinate their child or were unsure (22.0%). Kendall's tau-b indicated vaccine acceptance was negatively associated with COVID-19 specific and general vaccine distrust, belief the vaccine was unnecessary, time living in the U.S., and language acculturation (range tb = -0.13 to -0.44; p = 0.05-0.001) and positively related to trust in traditional resources, doctor's recommendation, child's age, household income and parent education (range tb = 0.11 to 0.37; p = 0.05-0.001). This research highlights the importance of COVID-19 vaccination public health strategies that draw on Hispanic cultural values, community partnerships and enhanced pediatrician communication regarding routine and COVID-19-specific vaccinations.

Contemporary trends in psychological research on conspiracy beliefs. A systematic review

Background

The number of psychological studies on conspiracy beliefs has been systematically growing for about a dozen years, but in recent years, the trend has intensified. We provided a review covering the psychological literature on conspiracy beliefs from 2018 to 2021. Halfway through this period, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, accompanied by an explosion of movements based on conspiracy theories, intensifying researchers' interest in this issue.

Methods

Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, the review systematically searched for relevant journal articles published between 2018 and 2021. A search was done on Scopus and Web of Science (only peer-reviewed journals). A study was included if it contained primary empirical data, if specific or general conspiracy belief(s) were measured and if its correlation with at least one other psychological variable was reported. All the studies were grouped for the descriptive analysis according to the methodology used, the participants' characteristics, the continent of origin, the sample size, and the conspiracy beliefs measurement tools. Due to substantial methodological heterogeneity of the studies, narrative synthesis was performed. The five researchers were assigned specific roles at each stage of the analysis to ensure the highest quality of the research.

Results

Following the proposed methodology, 308 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and 274 articles (417 studies) meeting the inclusion criteria were identified and included in the review. Almost half of the studies (49.6%) were conducted in European countries. The vast majority of the studies (85.7%) were carried out on samples of adult respondents. The research presents antecedents as well as (potential) consequences of conspiracy beliefs. We grouped the antecedents of conspiracy beliefs into six categories: cognitive (e.g., thinking style) motivational (e.g., uncertainty avoidance), personality (e.g., collective narcissism), psychopathology (e.g., Dark Triad traits), political (e.g., ideological orientation), and sociocultural factors (e.g., collectivism).

Conclusion and limitations

The research presents evidence on the links between conspiracy beliefs and a range of attitudes and behaviors considered unfavorable from the point of view of individuals and of the society at large. It turned out that different constructs of conspiracy thinking interact with each other. The limitations of the study are discussed in the last part of the article.

Psychosocial Factors Predict Mask-Wearing: A Longitudinal Study Across 3 Phases of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Determinants of mask-wearing during a pandemic range from the personal to the political. Using a repeated measures design, we examined psychosocial predictors of self-reported mask-wearing 3 times during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants completed surveys at baseline (summer 2020), 3 months (fall 2020), and 6 months (winter 2020-2021). The survey assessed the frequency of mask-wearing and psychosocial predictors from various theories, including fear of COVID-19, perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, attitude, health locus of control, and self-efficacy. Results indicated that the strongest predictors of mask-wearing varied as a function of the stage in the pandemic. In the earliest phase, fear of COVID-19 and perceived severity were the strongest predictors. Three months later, attitude was the strongest predictor. Finally, another 3 months later, self-efficacy became the strongest predictor. Overall, the results suggest that the primary determinants of a novel protective behavior shift over time and with increased familiarity.

COVID-19 mortality in Brazil, 2020-21: consequences of the pandemic inadequate management

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic brought countless challenges to public health and highlighted the Brazilian health system vulnerabilities in facing the emergency. In this article, we analyze data on COVID-19-related deaths in 2020-21 to show the epidemic consequences in Brazil.

METHODS

The Mortality Information System and the Live Birth Information System were the primary information sources. We used population estimates in 2020-21 to calculate COVID-19 specific mortality rates by age, sex, and educational level. Considering the total number of COVID-19 deaths in 2020-21, the COVID-19 proportional mortality (%) was estimated for each age group and sex. A graph of the daily number of deaths from January 2020 to December 2021 by sex was elaborated to show the temporal evolution of COVID-19 deaths in Brazil. In addition, four indicators related to COVID-19 mortality were estimated: infant mortality rate (IMR); maternal mortality ratio (MMR); number and rate of orphans due to mother's COVID-19 death; the average number of years lost.

RESULTS

The overall COVID-19 mortality rate was 14.8 (/10,000). The mortality rates increase with age and show a decreasing gradient with higher schooling. The rate among illiterate people was 38.8/10,000, three times higher than a college education. Male mortality was 31% higher than female mortality. COVID-19 deaths represented 19.1% of all deaths, with the highest proportions in the age group of 40-59 years. The average number of years lost due to COVID-19 was 19 years. The MMR due to COVID-19 was 35.7 per 100,000 live births (LB), representing 37.4% of the overall MMR. Regarding the number of orphans due to COVID-19, we estimated that 40,830 children under 18 lost their mothers during the epidemic, with an orphans' rate of 7.5/10,000 children aged 0-17 years. The IMR was 11.7 per 1000 LB, with 0.2 caused by COVID-19. The peak of COVID-19 deaths occurred in March 2021, reaching almost 4000 COVID-19 deaths per day, higher than the average number of deaths per day from all causes in 2019.

CONCLUSIONS

The delay in adopting public health measures necessary to control the epidemic has exacerbated the spread of the disease, resulting in several avoidable deaths.

Exploration of the impact of political ideology disparity on COVID-19 transmission in the United States

BACKGROUND

Based on individual-level studies, previous literature suggested that conservatives and liberals in the United States had different perceptions and behaviors when facing the COVID-19 threat. From a state-level perspective, this study further explored the impact of personal political ideology disparity on COVID-19 transmission before and after the emergence of Omicron.

METHODS

A new index was established, which depended on the daily cumulative number of confirmed cases in each state and the corresponding population size. Then, by using the 2020 United States presidential election results, the values of the built index were further divided into two groups concerning the political party affiliation of the winner in each state. In addition, each group was further separated into two parts, corresponding to the time before and after Omicron predominated. Three methods, i.e., functional principal component analysis, functional analysis of variance, and function-on-scalar linear regression, were implemented to statistically analyze and quantify the impact.

RESULTS

Findings reveal that the disparity of personal political ideology has caused a significant discrepancy in the COVID-19 crisis in the United States. Specifically, the findings show that at the very early stage before the emergence of Omicron, Democratic-leaning states suffered from a much greater severity of the COVID-19 threat but, after July 2020, the severity of COVID-19 transmission in Republican-leaning states was much higher than that in Democratic-leaning states. Situations were reversed when the Omicron predominated. Most of the time, states with Democrat preferences were more vulnerable to the threat of COVID-19 than those with Republican preferences, even though the differences decreased over time.

CONCLUSIONS

The individual-level disparity of political ideology has impacted the nationwide COVID-19 transmission and such findings are meaningful for the government and policymakers when taking action against the COVID-19 crisis in the United States.

Factors affecting face mask-wearing behaviors to prevent COVID-19 among Thai people: A binary logistic regression model

OBJECTIVES

Face mask wearing is a standard preventive measure, in addition to handwashing and physical distancing. Individuals may find that wearing a face mask protects their physical health and prevents viral transmission. However, none of the studies in Thailand identified factors associated with face mask-wearing behaviors among Thai people. Therefore, this study aims to determine factors affecting face mask-wearing behaviors to prevent COVID-19.

METHODS

This research is analytical survey research. The data used in this study were under the project title "The assessment of psychosocial and behavioral response and compliance to restriction measures to prevent and control COVID-19: A series of the rapid survey." A total of 6,521 people participated in an online survey by multi-stage sampling. Bivariate logistic regression analysis was used to examine the factors associated with face mask-wearing behaviors.

RESULTS

After adjusting for independent variables (i.e., gender, age, education, career, smoking, and comorbidity disease), the bivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that gender, age, and career were statistically significant to the face mask-wearing behaviors (p < 0.05). Level of education, smoking, and comorbidity disease were not statistically significant with face mask-wearing behaviors among Thai people.

CONCLUSION

Further study should explore broader on individual face mask perceptions and wearing in the continuing of COVID-19 across gender, age, and careers to better understand their health behaviors and to inform further policy. In addition, the development of an intervention to promote face mask wearing should target men who age below 30 yrs. and did not work in government services careers as this group of the population was likely not to wear a face mask outside the home.

Summarising data and factors associated with COVID-19 related conspiracy theories in the first year of the pandemic: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

Conspiracy theories can have particularly harmful effects by negatively shaping health-related behaviours. A significant number of COVID-19 specific conspiracy theories emerged in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic outbreak. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature on conspiracy theories related to COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic (2020), to identify their prevalence, their determinants and their public health consequences. A comprehensive literature search was carried out in PubMed and PsycINFO to detect all studies examining any conspiracy theory related to COVID-19 between January 1st 2020, and January 10th 2021. Forty-three studies were included with a total of 61,809 participants. Between 0.4 and 82.7% of participants agreed with at least one conspiracy belief. Certain sociodemographic factors (young age, female gender, being non-white, lower socioeconomic status), psychological aspects (pessimism, blaming others, anger) and other qualities (political conservatism, religiosity, mistrust in science and using social media as source of information) were associated with increased acceptance of conspiracy theories. Conspiracy beliefs led to harmful health-related behaviours and posed a serious public health threat. Large-scale collaborations between governments and healthcare organizations are needed to curb the spread of conspiracy theories and their adverse consequences.

Reductions in perceived COVID-19 threat amid UK's mass public vaccination programme coincide with reductions in outgroup avoidance (but not prejudice)

It has long been proposed that perceptions of threat contribute to greater outgroup negativity. Much of the existing evidence on the threat-prejudice association in the real world, however, is cross-sectional in nature. Such designs do not adequately capture individual-level changes in constructs, and how changes in constructs relate to changes in other theoretically relevant constructs. The current research exploited the unique opportunity afforded by the mass COVID-19 vaccination programme in the United Kingdom to explore whether reductions in pathogen threat coincide with reductions in outgroup prejudice and avoidance. A two-wave longitudinal study (N1  = 912, N2  = 738) measured British adult's perceptions of COVID-19 threat and anti-immigrant bias before and during mass vaccine rollout in the United Kingdom. Tests of latent change models demonstrated that perceived COVID-19 threat significantly declined as the vaccine programme progressed, as did measures of outgroup avoidance tendencies, but not prejudiced attitudes. Critically, change in threat was systematically correlated with change in outgroup avoidance: those with greater reductions in perceived COVID-19 threat were, on average, those with greater reductions in outgroup avoidance. Findings provide important and novel insights into the implications of disease protection strategies for intergroup relations during an actual pandemic context, as it unfolds over time.

COVID-19 risk perception and hoax beliefs in the US immediately before and after the announcement of President Trump's diagnosis

A notable challenge of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has been public scepticism over the severity of the disease, or even its existence. Such scepticism is politically skewed in the USA, with conservatives more likely to downplay or deny the risks of the virus. However, the hospitalization of President Trump with COVID-19 in October 2020 served as a high-profile exemplar of the reality and risks of the virus, and as such may have influenced opinions, particularly for US conservatives. We investigate whether President Trump testing positive was associated with changes in public attitudes towards the virus. In two studies, we surveyed independent representative US samples before and after the announcement of Trump's illness. In Study 1, measuring risk perceptions of the virus, we find that participants surveyed before and after the announcement did not differ in their risk perception regardless of political orientation. In Study 2, measuring belief that the virus is a hoax, we find that among those on the far right of the political spectrum, hoax belief was lower for those surveyed after the announcement, suggesting that Trump's hospitalization may have affected the beliefs of those most receptive to the President's earlier suggestions that the virus might be a hoax.

An Epidemic Model with Pro and Anti-vaccine Groups

Here, an epidemiological model considering pro and anti-vaccination groups is proposed and analyzed. In this model, susceptible individuals can migrate between these two groups due to the influence of false and true news about safety and efficacy of vaccines. From this model, written as a set of three ordinary differential equations, analytical expressions for the disease-free steady state, the endemic steady state, and the basic reproduction number are derived. It is analytically shown that low vaccination rate and no influx to the pro-vaccination group have similar impacts on the long-term amount of infected individuals. Numerical simulations are performed with parameter values of the COVID-19 pandemic to illustrate the analytical results. The possible relevance of this work is discussed from a public health perspective.

Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake in Adolescents 12–17 Years Old: Examining Pediatric Vaccine Hesitancy Among Racially Diverse Parents in the United States

As of December 8, 2021, 9.9 million U.S. adolescents ages 12–17 years old remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) despite FDA emergency approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use among this age group in May 2021. A slow-down in adolescent vaccine uptake and increased likelihood of hospitalization among unvaccinated youth highlight the importance of understanding parental hesitancy in vaccinating their adolescent children against COVID-19. Racial/ethnic disparities in pediatric COVID-19 infection and hospitalization further underscore the need to examine parental vaccine acceptance and hesitancy among diverse U.S. parent populations. In October 2021, 242 Hispanic and non-Hispanic Asian, Black, and White parents of adolescents ages 12–17 years participated in a national online survey assessing determinants of COVID-19 pediatric vaccine hesitancy. Compared to Asian, Black, and Hispanic parents, non-Hispanic White parents reported reduced odds of having vaccinated their adolescent. Bivariate analyses and a multivariable binomial logistic regression indicated that identification as non-Hispanic White, parental COVID-19 vaccine status and safety measures, COVID-19 misconceptions, general vaccine mistrust and COVID-19 related collectivist and individualist attitudes accounted for 45.5% of the variance in the vaccine status of their adolescent children. Our findings draw attention to the urgent need to consider the COVID-19 beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of parents from diverse racial/ethnic groups in developing population tailored public health messaging to increase adolescent COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

Characteristics Associated with the Dual Behavior of Mask Wearing and Vaccine Acceptance: A Pooled Cross-Sectional Study among Adults in Saskatchewan

While the dual behavior of consistent mask wearing and vaccine acceptance represents an effective method of protecting oneself and others from COVID-19, research has yet to directly examine its predictors. A total of 3347 responses from a pooled cross-sectional survey of adults living in Saskatchewan, Canada, were analyzed using a multinomial logistic regression model. The outcome variable was the combined behavior of mask-wearing and vaccine intention in four combinations, while covariates consisted of socio-demographic factors, risk of exposure to coronavirus, mitigating behaviors, and perceptions of COVID-19. Those who were 65 years and older, financially secure, consistently practiced social distancing and had no or very few contacts with people outside their households, were concerned about spreading the virus, and perceived they would be seriously sick if infected were likely to engage in both mask wearing and vaccine acceptance, rather than one or the other, with adjusted odds ratios ranging from 2.24 to 27.54. Further, within mask wearers, these factors were associated in a graded manner with vaccine intent. By describing the characteristics of those who engage in both mask wearing and vaccine acceptance, these results offer a specific set of characteristics for public health authorities to target and, therefore, contribute to the rapidly evolving body of knowledge on protective factors for COVID-19.

Trust in scientific information mediates associations between conservatism and coronavirus responses in the U.S., but few other nations

U.S.-based research suggests conservatism is linked with less concern about contracting coronavirus and less preventative behaviors to avoid infection. Here, we investigate whether these tendencies are partly attributable to distrust in scientific information, and evaluate whether they generalize outside the U.S., using public data and recruited representative samples across three studies (N_total = 34,710). In Studies 1 and 2, we examine these relationships in the U.S., yielding converging evidence for a sequential indirect effect of conservatism on compliance through scientific (dis)trust and infection concern. In Study 3, we compare these relationships across 19 distinct countries. Although the relationships between trust in scientific information about the coronavirus, concern about coronavirus infection, and compliance are consistent cross-nationally, the relationships between conservatism and trust in scientific information are not. These relationships are strongest in North America. Consequently, the indirect effects observed in Studies 1–2 only replicate in North America (the U.S. and Canada) and in Indonesia. Study 3 also found parallel direct and indirect effects on support for lockdown restrictions. These associations suggest not only that relationships between conservatism and compliance are not universal, but localized to particular countries where conservatism is more strongly related to trust in scientific information about the coronavirus pandemic.

Risk-Perception Change Associated with COVID-19 Vaccine's Side Effects: The Role of Individual Differences

The COVID-19 vaccine appears to be a crucial requirement to fight the pandemic. However, a part of the population possesses negative attitudes towards the vaccine. The spread of conspiracy theories and contradictory information about the pandemic have altered the population's perception of risk. The risk-perception of the vaccine's side effects may be affected by individual differences. The complex relationship between risk-perception and individual differences is relevant when people have to make decisions based on ambiguous and constantly changing information, as in the early phases of the Italian vaccination campaign. The present study aimed at measuring the effect of individual differences in risk-perception associated with the COVID-19 vaccine's side effects in a context characterized by information ambiguity. An online survey was conducted to classify a sample of Italian pro-vaccine people into cognitive/behavioral style groups. Furthermore, changes in vaccine risk-perception after inconsistent communications regarding the vaccine's side effects were compared between groups. The results showed that "analytical" individuals did not change their perception regarding the probability of vaccine side effects but changed their perception regarding the severity of side effects; "open" and "polarized" individuals neither changed their perception regarding the probability nor of the severity of side effects, showing a different kind of information processing, which could interfere with an informed decision-making process.

COVID-19 Pediatric Vaccine Hesitancy among Racially Diverse Parents in the United States

On 29 October 2021, the U.S. FDA authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine for emergency use in children ages 5–11 years. Racial/ethnic minorities have born the greatest burden of pediatric COVID-19 infection and hospitalization. Research indicates high prevalence of parental vaccine hesitancy among the general population, underscoring the urgency of understanding how race/ethnicity may influence parents’ decision to vaccinate their children. Two weeks prior to FDA approval, 400 Hispanic and non-Hispanic Asian, Black, and White parents of children 5–10 years participated in an online survey assessing determinants of COVID-19 pediatric vaccine hesitancy. Compared to 31% Black, 45% Hispanic, and 25% White parents, 62% of Asian parents planned to vaccinate their child. Bivariate and multivariate ordinal logistic regression demonstrated race/ethnicity, parental vaccine status, education, financial security, perceived childhood COVID-19 susceptibility and severity, vaccine safety and efficacy concerns, community support, and FDA and physician recommendations accounted for 70.3% of variance for vaccine hesitancy. Findings underscore the importance of multipronged population targeted approaches to increase pediatric COVID-19 vaccine uptake including integrating health science literacy with safety and efficacy messaging, communication efforts tailored to parents who express unwillingness to vaccinate, and interventions developed in partnership with and delivered through existing trusted community coalitions.

Measuring citizens' engagement during emergencies: Psychometric validation of the Public Health Engagement Scale for Emergency Settings (PHEs-E)

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of citizens' behaviors in the containment of the virus. Individuals might change their intention to adhere to public health prescriptions depending on various personal characteristics, including their own emotional status, which has been recognized to be a crucial psychological factor in orienting people's adherence to public health recommendation during emergency settings. In particular, it is crucial to support citizens' alliance with authorities and feeling of trust: public engagement is a concept that refers to the general involvement of citizens into public affairs which is generally considered an effective approach to enhance citizens' understanding of their crucial role in public affairs. However, so far there is no agreement on the metrics and indexes that should be used to measures public engagement during a health crisis. The aim of this paper is to validate a psychometric scale (PHEs-E), which intends to measure the readiness of individuals to adhere to the prescribed behavioral change to contain the emergency. Data were collected throughout the pandemic in Italy: in particular, five independent samples were recruited starting from March 2020 to March 2021. Results showed that the proposed measure has good psychometric characteristics. A general linear model was computed to assess the differences of public engagement across the different data points and among citizens with different sociodemographic characteristics. Correlations with other psychological constructs (i.e. Anxiety, Depression and Self-Efficacy) were also tested, showing that more engaged citizens have a lower level of anxiety and depression, and a higher self-efficacy. This study's findings indicate that individuals' characteristics may differentiate citizens' motivation to engage in public health behavioral recommendation to prevent the COVID-19 contagion. However the scale could be useful to perform a psychological monitoring of psychological readiness to engage in public health strategies to face critical events and settings.

Psychosocial and Behavioral Outcomes and Transmission Prevention Behaviors: Working During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on psychosocial and behavioral responses of the non-health care workforce and to evaluate transmission prevention behavior implementation in the workplace.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

We deployed the baseline questionnaire of a prospective online survey from November 20, 2020, through February 8, 2021 to US-based employees. The survey included questions on psychosocial and behavioral responses in addition to transmission prevention behaviors (e.g., mask wearing). Select questions asked employees to report perceptions and behaviors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were analyzed descriptively and stratified by work from home (WFH) percentage.

RESULTS

In total, 3607 employees from 8 companies completed the survey. Most participants (70.0%) averaged 90% or more of their time WFH during the pandemic. Employees reported increases in stress (54.0%), anxiety (57.4%), fatigue (51.6%), feeling unsafe (50.4%), lack of companionship (60.5%), and feeling isolated from others (69.3%) from before to during the pandemic. Productivity was perceived to decrease for 42.9% of employees and non-work-related screen time and alcohol consumption to increase for 50.7% and 25.1% of employees, respectively, from before to during the pandemic. Adverse changes were worse among those with lower WFH percentages. Most employees reported wearing a mask (98.2%), washing hands regularly (95.7%), and physically distancing (93.6%) in the workplace.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest worsened psychosocial and behavioral outcomes from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic and higher transmission prevention behavior implementation among non-health care employees. These observations provide novel insight into how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted non-health care employees.

Disruptions in sourcing and distribution practices of supply chains due to COVID-19 pandemic: a sustainability paradigm

Purpose

The present research paper is an attempt to study how COVID-19 can affect the global sourcing practices of various supply chain intermediaries across the demand chain. This study aims to explore and is an attempt to understand the overall impact of COVID-19 on the sustainable operations of the firm such as sourcing, procurement, economic performance, social responsibility, consumption and distributions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a quantitative technique using data collected from 708 respondents. Structural equation modeling (SEM) has been applied to test the proposed model and hypothesis.

Findings

The findings of the study suggest that sourcing practices, distribution and sustainability considerations of manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and retailers are affected by COVID-19 to a great extent but the pandemic has also led to making supply chain intermediaries understand the changing dynamics of the business scenario which can help them in their own strategic and business evolution.

Research limitations/implications

The current disruptions throughout global delivery chains caused by COVID-19 affect badly, the already poor-performing supply chains. Hence, the present study provides fresh insight on how organizations can limit the ill effects of COVID-19 by safeguarding some of their key sustainable operations in a post-pandemic business scenario.

Originality/value

The present study takes into consideration how core supply functions such as sourcing, distribution and manufacturing and various sustainable operations are disrupted by pandemic and its after-effects. This knowledge base can help business organizations to mitigate such problems/disruptions in the future.

Adhering to COVID-19 health guidelines: Examining demographic and psychological predictors of adherence

The effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has relied heavily on the general public's compliance with health guidelines limiting social contact and mitigating risk when contact occurs. The aim of this study was to identify latent variables underlying adherence to COVID-19 guidelines and to examine demographic and psychological predictors of adherence. A sample of US adults (N = 1,200) were surveyed in late April to mid-May 2020. The factor structure of adherence was examined using exploratory factor analysis. Machine learning regression models using elastic net regularization were used to examine predictors of adherence. Two factors characterized adherence: avoidance and cleaning. Elastic net models identified differential demographic and psychological predictors of these two forms of adherence. Religious affiliation, denial coping, full-time employment, substance use coping, and being 60 or older predicted lower avoidance adherence. Behavioral and mindfulness emotion regulation skills, agreeableness, and Democrat political affiliation predicted greater avoidance adherence. For cleaning adherence, interpersonal and behavioral emotion regulation skills and conscientiousness emerged as strong predictors of greater cleaning. Efforts to promote compliance with COVID-19 health guidelines may benefit from distinguishing avoidance and cleaning adherence and considering predictors of each of these aspects of adherence.

Psychological distance towards COVID-19: Geographical and hypothetical distance predict attitudes and mediate knowledge

While different antecedents have been examined to explain peoples’ reactions towards COVID-19, there is only scarce understanding about the role of the subjective closeness and distance to the pandemic. Within the current study, we applied the concept of psychological distance to understand the distance towards COVID-19 and investigated its (1) connection with preventive attitudes and proactive behaviors, (2) context-specific antecedents, and its (3) mediating effect of knowledge on attitudes. Using an online sample from a German quantitative cross-sectional study (N = 395, M = 32.2 years, SD = 13.9 years, 64.3% female) in July 2020, a time with a general low incidence of people infected with Sars-CoV2, we measured relevant socio-psychological constructs addressing COVID-19 and included further information from external sources. Based on a path model, we found geographical distance as a significant predictor of cognitive attitudes towards COVID-19. Furthermore, hypothetical distance (i.e., feeling to be likely affected by COVID-19) predicted not only participants’ affective, cognitive, and behavioral attitudes, but also the installation of a corona warning-app. While several variables affected the different dimensions of psychological distance, hypothetical and geographical distance mediated the effect of knowledge on attitudes. These results underline the role of geographical and hypothetical distance for health-related behaviors and education. For example, people will only comply with preventive measures if they feel geographically concerned by the disease, which is particularly challenging for fast-spreading global diseases such as COVID-19. Therefore, there is a need to clearly communicate the personal risks of diseases and address peoples’ hypothetical distance.

Negative Perception of the COVID-19 Pandemic Is Dropping: Evidence From Twitter Posts

The COVID-19 pandemic hit hard society, strongly affecting the emotions of the people and wellbeing. It is difficult to measure how the pandemic has affected the sentiment of the people, not to mention how people responded to the dramatic events that took place during the pandemic. This study contributes to this discussion by showing that the negative perception of the people of the COVID-19 pandemic is dropping. By negative perception, we mean the number of negative words the users of Twitter, a social media platform, employ in their online posts. Seen as aggregate, Twitter users are using less and less negative words as the pandemic evolves. The conclusion that the negative perception is dropping comes from a careful analysis we made in the contents of the COVID-19 Twitter chatter dataset, a comprehensive database accounting for more than 1 billion posts generated during the pandemic. We explore why the negativity of the people decreases, making connections with psychological traits such as psychophysical numbing, reappraisal, suppression, and resilience. In particular, we show that the negative perception decreased intensively when the vaccination campaign started in the USA, Canada, and the UK and has remained to decrease steadily since then. This finding led us to conclude that vaccination plays a key role in dropping the negativity of the people, thus promoting their psychological wellbeing.

Exploring information seeking of rural older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose

This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the types and sources of information sought by older adults along with their motivations in the Midwestern United States.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews were conducted with 30 older adults residing in rural communities around the Midwestern United States during late-summer (July/August) 2020, using a protocol based on Dervin's Sense-Making Methodology. The resulting data was analyzed using standard content analysis procedures, guided by the theoretical frameworks based on Dervin's Sense-Making and Williamson's Ecological Model of Information Behavior. Implications of COVID-19 for the normative behaviors described in these models are discussed.

Findings

Findings show that older adults were concerned primarily with health and political information during this period, but that this information was not necessarily sought only to address an informational need, but also to satisfy the need to maintain social and emotional connections in coping with isolation and loneliness. Sources of information that allowed for social interaction with people were favored. Wider personal networks (community members) were strained by the social distancing measures and closures. These findings have theoretical and practical implications for considering the impact of social restrictions on information seeking behaviors of older adults in a time of crisis.

Originality/value

This study is the first, known to the authors, that applied the two adopted theoretical frameworks to explore information seeking behaviors of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Irrational Beliefs about COVID-19: A Scoping Review

Since the emergence of the recent Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) and its spread as a pandemic, there has been a parallel spread of false and misleading information, known as an infodemic. The COVID-19 infodemic has induced distrust in scientific communities, governments, institutions and the population, and a confidence crisis that has led to harmful health behaviours, also impacting on mental health. The aim of this study is to provide a scoping review of the scientific literature about COVID-19-related misinformation and conspiracy theories, focusing on the construction of a conceptual framework which is useful for the interpretation of the conspiracy theory phenomenon surrounding COVID-19, and its consequences. Particular socio-environmental conditions (i.e., low educational level, younger age), psychological processes and attitudes (such as low levels of epistemic trust, the avoidance of uncertainty, extraversion, collective narcissism, and a conspiracy-prone mindset), and contextual factors (e.g., high levels of self-perceived risk and anxiety) seem to underpin the adherence to beliefs that are not solely the domain of paranoids and extremists but a widespread phenomenon that has caused important health, social and political consequences.

Mask Wearing as Cultural Behavior: An Investigation Across 45 U.S. States During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Although masks (face coverings) are a prime tool in fighting airborne pathogens, during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States the use of masks encountered resistance based on existing patterns of cultural division. We argue that mask wearing must be understood basis on existing cultural frames assessed at both the individual level and the state level. We relied on prominent frameworks in cultural psychology: individualism-collectivism as well as independent and interdependent self-construals, the tightness-looseness framework, U.S. honor cultures, and political orientation as predictors. Using multilevel modeling, in a sample of 633 respondents from 45 U.S. states we investigated mask-wearing behavior, masks' perceived utility, implications for well-being, and the social meaning attributed to masks. Conservatism was linked to lower mask wearing, and consistently unfavorable perceptions of mask wearing. Collective interdependence predicted favorable perceptions of masks, as did state-level differences in collectivism; both constructs were linked with viewing mask wearing to be normative. Independent self-construal predicted a greater intent to wear masks, even though masks were also evaluated less favorably. Mediation analyses revealed that a single mediator, the perceived utility of mask wearing, was implicated in translating the effects of different cultural predictors into behavior. Additional findings highlighted that in tightener (vs. looser) states masks wearing was conceived of as a civic duty, whereas in U.S. honor states mask were seen as spoiling one's public image. Our discussion focuses on the cultural and political context of mask wearing, argues that different communities in the U.S. respond to its symbolic and social meaning, and suggest strategies to increase mask wearing among those who are otherwise reluctant to do so.

Intention-Based Critical Factors Affecting Willingness to Adopt Novel Coronavirus Prevention in Pakistan: Implications for Future Pandemics

Since human beings have a long tradition of coexistence with pandemics, which may profoundly impact them, adopting preventive measures is crucial for humankind's survival. This study explores the intention-based critical factors affecting the willingness of individuals to adopt pandemic prevention. To this end, a representative sample of 931 Pakistanis filled in an online questionnaire. However, only 828 questionnaires were found to be complete and valid for path modeling analysis. The core findings are as follows: Firstly, peer groups' beliefs, self-efficacy, perceived risk, pandemic knowledge, ease of pandemic prevention adoption, and risk-averse behavior are revealed as driving forces of the individuals' willingness to adopt pandemic prevention. Contrastingly, a lack of trust in political will and mythical attitude towards pandemics are uncovered as inhibitors. Nevertheless, moral values depict a neutral role. Secondly, the peer groups' beliefs are highest ranked, followed by the lack of trust in political will and a mythical attitude towards pandemic prevention. Finally, moral values are determined as the lowest-ranked critical factor. Based on these results, the government should promote awareness campaigns on lethality and fatality of the pandemic at both centralized and decentralized levels to win people's trust at the grass-roots level and overcome the mythical attitude of individuals at all societal levels. Besides, access to personal protective gears should be made feasible since an easier pandemic prevention adoption would increase the individuals' willingness to adopt such preventative measures.

The role of ideological attitudes in responses to COVID-19 threat and government restrictions in Australia

Many government strategies to reduce the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) involved unprecedented restrictions on personal movement, disrupting social and economic norms. Although generally well-received in Australia, community frustration regarding these restrictions appeared to diverge across political lines. Therefore, we examined the unique effects of the ideological subfactors of Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA; Aggression, Submission and Conventionalism) and Social Dominance Orientation (SDO; Dominance and Anti-egalitarianism) in predicting perceived personal threat of COVID-19, and support for and reactance to government restrictions, in Australian residents across two separate samples (S1 N = 451, S2 N = 838). COVID-19 threat was positively predicted by Submission, and negatively by Conventionalism, and Anti-egalitarianism. Support for restrictions was also positively predicted by Submission, and negatively by Conventionalism, Dominance, and Anti-egalitarianism. Reactance to government restrictions was negatively predicted by Submission, and positively by Conventionalism, Dominance, and Anti-egalitarianism. These findings suggest that right-wing ideological subfactors contribute to the one's perception of COVID-19 threat and government restrictions differentially.

Beliefs in COVID-19 conspiracy theories, compliance with the preventive measures, and trust in government medical officials

The COVID -19 pandemic represents a global health crisis, so adherence to government guidelines and public health advice is critical in reducing transmission rates. Despite this, it has been reported that a minority of people do not comply with the governmental guidelines. When considering the reasons why some people do not comply with preventive measures, previous studies have shown that beliefs in COVID-19 conspiracy theories negatively predict responsible pandemic-related behaviour. This, in turn, could seriously undermine success in combating the pandemic. Our aim was, therefore, to further investigate the relationship between conspiracy beliefs and adherence to official COVID-19 medical guidelines by including mediating roles of beliefs in pseudoscientific information and trust in government officials. A total of 1882 adults from Croatia provided sociodemographic information and completed several scales related to COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs, beliefs in pseudoscientific information, trust in government officials, and adherence to official COVID-19 guidelines. A multiple mediation analysis revealed a direct negative effect of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs on compliance with the preventive measures. In addition, conspiracy beliefs were indirectly related to compliance via trust in government officials. The present study builds upon emerging research showing that conspiracy beliefs may have significant social consequences and pose a potential risk to public health. Practical implications of these findings are discussed further.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-021-01898-y.