Perceived Benefits and Barriers to Chinese COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Young Adults in China

Heritage and hesitancy: how preference for traditional Chinese medicine influences vaccine attitudes

Introduction

Vaccine hesitancy, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, is a pressing public health challenge. This study investigates the association between Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) preference and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy within China.

Methods

The study uses data from the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) (N = 2,690). Logistic regressions and Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) method are employed to analyzed the relationship between TCM preference and vaccine hesitancy.

Results

The study reaffirms prior findings by revealing a robust and stable association between TCM preference and vaccine hesitancy, which remains unaffected by socioeconomic and demographic confounders, as well as institutional trust dynamics of healthcare system. Contrary to expectations, TCM enthusiasts do not exhibit vaccine hesitancy based on divergent epistemological views concerning vaccine risks and immunity acquisition compared to biomedicine.

Discussion

This research enriches understandings of the intricate relations between healthcare paradigms and vaccine attitudes, inviting further inquiry into the role of CAM in shaping vaccination behaviors across different cultures and contexts. The insights bear significant public health implications for enhancing vaccine acceptance and coverage, particularly among populations where CAM practices wield substantial influence.

The Influencing Role of Cultural Values on Attitudes of the Chinese Public Towards Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for the Control of COVID-19

Purpose

The use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for disease prevention and healthcare has been strongly supported by the Chinese government in recent years, but public perception of TCM remains controversial or resistant, especially in preventing and treating COVID-19. It is therefore crucial to understand the factors that influence public attitudes.

Methods

By applying a measure of attitudes towards TCM in epidemic prevention, this study conducted a nationwide survey (n=1192) on the relationships between attitudes towards TCM for the control of COVID-19 and trust, perceptions of risk, scientific literacy, policy endorsement, and cultural values.

Results

The results of the study showed surprisingly that scientific literacy and risk perception did not dominate the Chinese public's attitudes towards TCM for the control of COVID-19. Meanwhile, egalitarianism, policy endorsement, trust in scientist and healthcare personnel played a positive role. Moreover, egalitarianism positively regulates the relationship between trust in scientist and attitudes towards TCM epidemic prevention and control, while collectivism negatively regulates the relationship of the preceding variables.

Conclusion

All these findings suggest that attitudes towards the use of TCM are not based on rational cognition and logical reasoning, but are mainly influenced by emotional and cultural factors. This study will help researchers and practitioners understand the importance of cultural values, trust, policy endorsement, and attitudes towards TCM epidemic prevention and control to TCM's use in healthcare.

Exploring the Influencing Factors of COVID-19 Vaccination Willingness among Young Adults in China

Vaccine uptake is considered as one of the most effective methods of defending against COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019). However, many young adults are hesitant regarding COVID-19 vaccines, and they actually play an important role in virus transmission. Based on a multi-theory model, this study aims to explore the influencing factors related to COVID-19 vaccine willingness among young adults in China. Using semi-structured interviews, this study explored the factors that would motivate young adults with vaccine hesitancy to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the interview data with topic modeling as a complementarity method. After comparing the differences and similarities of results generated by thematic analysis and topic modeling, this study ultimately identified ten key factors related to COVID-19 vaccination intention, including the effectiveness and safety of vaccines, application range of vaccine, etc. This study combined thematic analysis with machine learning and provided a comprehensive and nuanced picture of facilitating factors for COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Chinese young adults. Results may be taken as potential themes for authorities and public health workers in vaccination campaigns.

The determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake among migrants from 109 countries residing in China: A cross-sectional study

Background

The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine uptake among foreign migrants in China and to explore the determinants of their vaccine uptake behavior.

Methods

From June to October 2021, we used convenience and snowball sampling to recruit a sample of 764 participants from five cities in which the overwhelming majority of foreign migrants in China live. The chi-square (χ²) tests were used to examine vaccination distribution according to demographic characteristics. Multivariate logistic regression models visualized by forest plot were used to investigate the associations between significant determinants and vaccine uptake.

Results

Overall, the prevalence of vaccination rate was 72.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 69.9-76.0%]. Migrants whose social participation was very active [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 2.95, 95% CI: 1.36-6.50, P = 0.007] or had perceived COVID-19 progression prevention by the vaccine (AOR: 1.74, 95% CI: 1.01-3.02, P = 0.012) had higher odds of vaccination compared to those whose social participation was inactive or who did not have this perception. Migrants who perceived the vaccine uptake process as complex (AOR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.27-0.80, P = 0.016) or were unsure of their physical suitability for the vaccine (AOR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.24-0.68, P < 0.001) had lower odds of vaccination compared to those who did not have these perceptions. Furthermore, migrants from emerging and developing Asian countries (AOR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.07-5.21, P = 0.04) and the Middle East and Central Asia (AOR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.07-4.50, P = 0.03) had higher odds of vaccination than those from major advanced economies (G7) countries, while migrants from other advanced economic countries (OR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.11-0.63, P = 0.003) had lower odds of vaccination than those from G7 countries.

Conclusion

It may be beneficial to promote vaccine uptake among migrants by ensuring effective community engagement, simplifying the appointment and uptake process, and advocating the benefits and target populations of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Exploring the Willingness of the COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots in China Using the Health Belief Model: Web-Based Online Cross-Sectional Study

(1) Objective: To explore Chinese residents’ willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccine booster shots and identify predictors of the level of willingness based on the health belief model (HBM). (2) Methods: The snowball sampling method was used to distribute online questionnaires. A chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between different variables. The causal relationship between HBM-related factors and booster vaccination intentions was explored by Structural equation modeling (SEM). (3) Results: A total of 898 complete responses were included; 64.3% had already received the booster injection. Most respondents intended to vaccinate themselves, while 16.1% were hesitant. Nearly half of the respondents chose to take the booster injection to support China’s vaccination policy. Using the SEM, perceived susceptibility and perceived barriers were found to have a negative effect on booster vaccination intentions, whereas perceived benefit and cues to action positively affected booster vaccination intentions in the HBM. (4) Conclusions: Factors included in this study have different effects on the willingness to take the COVID-19 booster injections. Sociodemographic characteristics and characteristics of participants’ COVID-19 vaccination have a significant effect on the willingness to receive vaccine booster shots. The HBM constructs can serve as good predictors of the acceptance of vaccine booster shots with the exception of perceived severity, which may benefit health officials in terms of conducting targeted strategies in vaccine programs.