Is disgust proneness prospectively associated with influenza vaccine hesitancy and uptake?

Although various demographic and psychosocial factors have been identified as correlates of influenza vaccine hesitancy, factors that promote infectious disease avoidance, such as disgust proneness, have been rarely examined. In two large national U.S. samples (Ns = 475 and 1007), we investigated whether disgust proneness was associated with retrospective accounts of influenza vaccine uptake, influenza vaccine hesitancy, and eventual influenza vaccine uptake, while accounting for demographics and personality. Across both studies, greater age, higher education, working in healthcare, and greater disgust proneness were significantly related to greater likelihood of previously receiving an influenza vaccine. In Study 2, which was a year-long longitudinal project, disgust proneness prospectively predicted influenza vaccine hesitancy and eventual vaccine uptake during the 2020-2021 influenza season. Findings from this project expand our understanding of individual-level factors associated with influenza vaccine hesitancy and uptake, highlighting a psychological factor to be targeted in vaccine hesitancy interventions.

A longitudinal assessment of variability in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and psychosocial correlates in a national United States sample.

Recent evidence suggests that COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is not static. In order to develop effective vaccine uptake interventions, we need to understand the extent to which vaccine hesitancy fluctuates and identify factors associated with both between- and within-person differences in vaccine hesitancy. The goals of the current study were to assess the extent to which COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy varied at an individual level across time and to determine whether disgust sensitivity and germ aversion were associated with between- and within-person differences in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. A national sample of U.S. adults (N = 1025; 516 woman; Mage = 46.34 years, SDage = 16.56, range: 18 to 85 years; 72.6 % White) completed six weekly online surveys (March 20 - May 3, 2020). Between-person mean COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy rates were relatively stable across the six-week period (range: 38-42 %). However, there was considerable within-person variability in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Approximately, 40 % of the sample changed their vaccine hesitancy at least once during the six weeks. There was a significant between-person effect for disgust sensitivity, such that greater disgust sensitivity was associated with a lower likelihood of COVID-19 vaccine hesitance. There was also a significant within-person effect for germ aversion. Participants who experienced greater germ aversion for a given week relative to their own six week average were less likely to be COVID-19 vaccine hesitant that week relative to their own six-week average. This study provides important information on rapidly changing individual variability in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy on a weekly basis, which should be taken into consideration with any efforts to decrease vaccine hesitancy and increase vaccine uptake. Further, these findings identify-two psychological factors (disgust sensitivity and germ aversion) with malleable components that could be leveraged in developing vaccine uptake interventions.

The behavioral immune system and use of transportation services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: A primary means of reducing the spread of COVID-19 is avoidance of close contact with other people, particularly in closed areas. Transportation services generally require being in closed spaces with other people, which has resulted in a significant reduction in use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding individual differences associated with likelihood of using transportation services may help in targeting individuals that are hesitant to use these services. Specifically, psychological processes that encourage disease avoidance (e.g., disgust sensitivity, germ aversion) may play a key role in people's hesitancy to use transportation services. The aim of this study was to identify demographic groups that were hesitant to use transportation services during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the extent to which individual differences in disease avoidance processes are associated with the likelihood of using transportation services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A national sample of U.S. adults (N = 947) completed an online survey about the likelihood of using transportation services (i.e., public transportation, rental car, ride share, intercity trains, intercity buses, and commercial flight), germ aversion, disgust sensitivity, demographics, and control variables (e.g., COVID-19 concern). Results: Regression analyses indicated that greater germ aversion was associated with lower likelihood of transportation use for all measured transportation services, controlling for disgust sensitivity, demographics, and control variables. Older age and higher COVID-19 concern were associated with lower likelihood of using most of the transportation services, while town size was associated with greater likelihood of using public transportation and ride share. Discussion: Overall, germ aversion was consistently uniquely associated with lower likelihood of transportation service use. In the process of getting back to normal after the COVID-19 threat is reduced, structuring messages that target hesitant populations and use malleable psychological mechanisms like disease avoidance may aid in encouraging behavior change and increase transportation service use.

Job Insecurity and Financial Concern During the COVID-19 Pandemic Are Associated With Worse Mental Health.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether job insecurity due to COVID-19 and financial concern were associated with worse mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: Participants (N = 474 employed U.S. individuals) completed an online survey from April 6 to 12, 2020. Linear regressions were used to examine factors associated with mental health. RESULTS: After accounting for demographic characteristics, health status, other COVID-19 experiences, and anxiety symptoms, greater job insecurity due to COVID-19 was related to greater depressive symptoms. Conversely, after accounting for covariates and depressive symptoms, greater financial concern was related to greater anxiety symptoms. Further, greater job insecurity was indirectly related to greater anxiety symptoms due to greater financial concern. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that employers should aim to reduce job insecurity and financial concern among employees during the COVID-19 pandemic to address the associated mental health consequences.

Disease avoidance in the time of COVID-19: The behavioral immune system is associated with concern and preventative health behaviors.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses a serious global health threat. Without a vaccine, behavior change is the most effective means of reducing disease transmission. Identifying psychological factors that may encourage engagement in preventative health behaviors is crucial. The behavioral immune system (BIS) represents a set of psychological processes thought to promote health by encouraging disease avoidance behaviors. This study examined whether individual differences in BIS reactivity (germ aversion, pathogen disgust sensitivity) were associated with concern about COVID-19 and engagement in recommended preventative health behaviors (social distancing, handwashing, cleaning/disinfecting, avoiding touching face, wearing facemasks). From March 20 to 23, 2020, a US national sample (N = 1019) completed an online survey. Germ aversion and pathogen disgust sensitivity were the two variables most consistently associated with COVID-19 concern and preventative health behaviors, while accounting for demographic, health, and psychosocial covariates. Findings have implications for the development of interventions intended to increase preventative health behaviors.