Determinants of COVID-19 vaccination intention in Central and Eastern Europe : a cross-sectional study in Poland, Romania, and Slovenia

Slavec, Ana (author), Iwanowska, Magdalena (author), Bałandynowicz-Panfil, Katarzyna (author), Olah, Serban (author), Šoštarič, Mojca (author), Štebe, Janez (author), Łosiewicz, Malgorzata (author)

Background Identifying predictors of vaccination intention is critical to developing appropriate programs and campaigns targeting groups reluctant to be vaccinated. This study aimed to identify the determinants of vaccination intention at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in three Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries: Poland, Romania, and Slovenia. Methods In this cross-sectional study, a sample of unvaccinated 1723 Poles, Romanians, and Slovenians completed an online survey (April 2021). Questions included measures of vaccination intention, attitudes towards vaccines, conspiracy mindset, preference for a type of vaccine, and trust in information sources. Results The results showed that mistrust of vaccine benefits and concerns about commercial profiteering negatively predicted vaccination intention. Conversely, trust in information from medical professionals and scientists, official sources, and traditional media was positively related to vaccination intention, while trust in digital media was negatively related to vaccination intention. In addition, preference for mRNA vaccine type was a positive significant predictor of vaccination intention. The differences between countries are discussed. Conclusions The study results deliver suggestions for developing appropriate vaccine uptake programs and campaigns that should consider presenting the positive outcomes of vaccines via official sources and traditional media based on scientific evidence and medical professionals’ knowledge.

• Language: English
• Keywords: COVID-19, vaccination intention, attitudes towards vaccines, conspiracy mentality, trust in information sources, Central and Eastern Europe
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: 12 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 82, [article no.] ǂ60
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-166392
• UDC: 614
• ISSN on article: 2049-3258
• DOI: 10.1186/s13690-024-01261-0
• COBISS.SI-ID: 195103747
• Publication date in RUL: 10.01.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Archives of public health
• Shortened title: Arch. public health
• Publisher: Archives belges de médecine sociale" asbl.
• ISSN: 2049-3258
• COBISS.SI-ID: 522984985

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: COVID-19, namera cepljenja, odnos do cepiv, miselnost zarote, zaupanje v vire informacij, srednja in vzhodna Evropa

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: Z5-1879
• Name: Uporaba vprašalnikov za merjenje stališč in vedenj uporabnikov stavb