Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination uptake in community health center patients.

OBJECTIVES: Previous research on COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy has found that sociodemographic factors including sex, age, education, and occupation were associated with vaccination acceptance, along with other variables like trust in authorities, risk perception of COVID-19 and perception of vaccine efficacy and safety. However, this research has been limited by the use of nonvalidated measures for vaccination hesitancy and utilizing general samples that did not focus on minoritized groups. The purpose of the current study was to use validated methodology to determine factors associated with vaccination uptake in a community sample of predominantly Black and Latinx adults. METHOD: One-hundred and 9 participants (70% female, 40% Black, 40% Latinx) completed a survey assessing sociodemographic variables, vaccination uptake, medical mistrust, and vaccination attitudes. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression revealed that higher scores on the mistrust of the vaccine benefit subscale were associated with lower vaccination uptake (OR = .45, p < .001) and higher levels of education were associated with higher levels of vaccination uptake (OR = 1.56; p = .048). No other demographic variables, nor other aspects of vaccination hesitancy, were associated with vaccination uptake. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our findings speak to the importance of dispelling misinformation and building community trust in public health efforts. Specifically, vaccine mistrust may be an especially important focus of community-based education efforts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Online Social Connection as a Buffer of Health Anxiety and Isolation During COVID-19.

Abstract COVID-19 has given rise to a myriad of social, psychological, and health-related complications. The specific mental health implications of COVID-19 are still being uncovered, but we know that there are likely to be negative outcomes for many people. This is particularly the case for vulnerable members of the community, such as those with high health anxiety, and under conditions where individuals feel isolated or disconnected from others. The objective of this study was to examine whether the level of socially motivated Internet use acts as a buffer of the relationship between health anxiety, isolation behaviors, and depression. Participants (N = 473; 67.3 percent female; Mage = 23.03, SD = 7.50) from Australia completed self-report measures during the height of the national pandemic restrictions (April-May 2020). A regression analysis revealed positive relationships between health anxiety and isolation behaviors on depression and highlighted a three-way interaction effect. Specifically, health anxiety was significantly negatively associated with depression when participants engaged in fewer isolation behaviors. However, at higher levels of isolation behaviors, the relationship between health anxiety and depression was attenuated for participants with greater levels of online social connection. The findings suggest that online social connection buffered the negative effects of health anxiety under conditions of isolation. These results offer promising avenues to mitigate against vulnerabilities during the pandemic and highlight the need to promote alternate social support mechanisms in the absence of face-to-face connection.