Association between trust in COVID-19 information sources and engaging in infection prevention behaviors in Japan: A longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: We examined changes in people's trust in information sources in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic over the course of 1 year and investigated longitudinal associations between trust in such sources and engaging in infection prevention behaviors. METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal survey of Japanese populations under a declared state of emergency at two time points, August 2020 and August 2021. We surveyed sociodemographic data, seven Trust in COVID-19 information sources and six COVID-19 preventive behaviors. RESULTS: In all, 784 participants completed the two surveys. Physicians were the most consistently trusted information source over the 1-year period. We identified three preventive behaviors that were positively associated with trust in physicians as an information source (social distancing, wearing masks, and washing hands with soap), four preventive behaviors that were positively associated with trusting infected patients (social distancing, using ventilation, wearing masks, and using hand sanitizer), and one preventative behavior that was negatively associated with trust in government (avoiding closed spaces). CONCLUSION: In the ongoing pandemic, information from physicians and patients may encourage people to engage in long-term preventive behaviors. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Physicians and patients should be promoted as trusted and behavior influencing sources of information during the pandemic.

Associations between Vaccination Behavior and Trust in Information Sources Regarding COVID-19 Vaccines under Emergency Approval in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study.

We examined the association between COVID-19 vaccination behavior and trust in COVID-19-related information sources during the initial period of COVID-19 vaccination in Japan. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in August 2021, 5 months after the start of COVID-19 vaccination for the general public under emergency approval. Participants were recruited using non-probability quota sampling from among Japanese residents who were under a declared state of emergency. Sociodemographic data, vaccination behavior, and levels of trust in eight media sources of information and three interpersonal information sources were assessed using an online survey form. A total of 784 participants completed the survey. The results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age, household income, underlying medical conditions, and living with family were significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccination behavior. Regarding COVID-19 vaccine information sources, trust in public health experts as a source of media information and primary care physicians as a source of interpersonal information showed significantly positive associations with COVID-19 vaccination behavior (odds ratio [OR] = 1.157, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.017-1.31; OR = 1.076; 95% CI 1.006-1.150, respectively). Increasing trust in public health experts and primary care physicians and disseminating vaccine information from these sources will help promote vaccination under emergency approval.

Intervention studies to encourage vaccination using narrative: a systematic scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Vaccine hesitancy is a global problem, impeding uptake of vaccines against measles, mumps, and rubella and those against human papillomavirus and COVID-19. Effective communication strategy is needed to address vaccine hesitancy. To guide the development of research in the field and the development of effective strategies for vaccine communication, this scoping review aims to analyse studies of interventions using narrative to encourage vaccination. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will search the following databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and PsycARTICLES. We will identify additional literature by searching the reference lists of eligible studies. Eligible studies will be those that quantitatively examined the persuasiveness of narrative to encourage vaccination. Two independent reviewers will screen the titles, abstracts and full texts of all studies identified. Two independent reviewers will share the responsibility for data extraction and verification. Discrepancies will be resolved through consensus. Data such as study characteristics, participant characteristics, methodology, main results and theoretical foundation will be extracted. The findings will be synthesised in a descriptive and a narrative review. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This work does not warrant any ethical or safety concerns. This scoping review will be presented at a relevant conference and published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Types of anticipated affect that encourage and discourage vaccination: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Various cognitive behavioural models and theories have been used to address vaccine hesitancy. However, those models and theories have been criticised for focusing on cognitive influences on health behaviours at the expense of affective influences. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of affective elements as complementary predictors of health behaviours. Anticipated affect (ie, an expectation of one's affective response to the target behaviour) has received the most scrutiny. This scoping review will analyse studies of anticipated affect that aimed to encourage vaccination and organise implications for future research and practice in vaccine communication. Our report will focus on exploring the usefulness of affective influence in terms of a comparison with the cognitive influence on vaccination. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will search several databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Academic Search Complete, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar) and identify additional literature by searching the reference lists of eligible studies. Eligible studies are those that quantitatively or qualitatively examined anticipated affect and aimed to encourage vaccination. Only papers written in English will be included. We will include all eligible publications from database inception up to the date of the final database search. Two independent reviewers will screen the titles, abstracts and full texts of all identified studies. Two independent reviewers will share responsibility for data extraction and verification. Discrepancies will be resolved through discussion to reach consensus. We will extract data such as study characteristics, type of vaccine, type of anticipated affect, participant characteristics, methodology and main results. Data will be extracted using a customised extraction template on Covidence. The findings will be synthesised in a descriptive, narrative review. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This work does not warrant any ethical or safety review. This scoping review will be presented at a relevant conference and published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Encouraging COVID-19 vaccination via an evolutionary theoretical approach: A randomized controlled study in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the effect of a message that target the fundamental human motive of kin care on COVID-19 vaccination recommendations among participants with young children, based on an evolutionary theoretical approach. METHODS: Participants with young children (n = 969) were randomly assigned either to a group that received an intervention message that targeted the fundamental motive of kin care, or that targeted the fundamental motive of disease avoidance, or a control message. Intention to receive COVID-19 vaccination was assessed both before and after reading the messages. A one-way ANOVA with Tukey's or Games-Howell test was conducted. RESULTS: An intervention message targeting the fundamental motive of kin care and disease avoidance significantly increased intention of vaccination versus a control message (p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: The evolutionary theoretical approach that focuses on fundamental human motives has the potential to extend the communication strategy for COVID-19 vaccination recommendations. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Health professionals should deliver messages that target the fundamental motive of kin care as well as messages about the susceptibility and severity of COVID-19 and vaccine efficacy (e.g., "Get vaccinated against COVID-19 for your child's sake, because if you are infected, you will be unable to care for your child.").

Changes in Anxiety and Stress Among Pregnant Women During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Content Analysis of a Japanese Social Question-and-Answer Website.

BACKGROUND: The changing pattern of anxiety and stress experienced by pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the sources of anxiety and stress in pregnant women in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We performed content analysis of 1000 questions posted on the largest social website in Japan (Yahoo! Chiebukuro) from January 1 to May 25, 2020 (end date of the national state of emergency). The Gwet AC1 coefficient was used to verify interrater reliability. RESULTS: A total 12 categories were identified. Throughout the study period, anxiety related to going outdoors appeared most frequent, followed by anxiety regarding employment and infection among family and friends. Following the declaration of the state of national emergency at the peak of the infection, infection-related anxiety decreased, whereas anxiety about social support and mood disorders increased. Stress regarding relationships appeared frequent throughout the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The sources of anxiety and stress in pregnant women in Japan changed during the pandemic. Our results suggest the need for rapid communications in the early phase of a pandemic as well as long-term psychosocial support to provide optimal support to pregnant women in Japan. Health care professionals should understand the changing pattern of requirements among pregnant women.