Intention to Get the (COVID)-19 Vaccine and Religiosity: The Moderating Role of Knowledge About the (COVID)-19 Vaccine

Abstract

Studying the influence of religiosity and knowledge of the COVID-19 vaccination is important for boosting countrywide vaccine acceptance in countries such as Pakistan. This study used partial least squares structural equation modeling to determine whether these factors predicted the intention to get the vaccine and whether knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines moderated the influence of religiosity on the intention to get vaccinated. Participants were 251 college students from Pakistan, recruited using convenience sampling, who completed a paper-based survey. Results of structural equation modeling showed that religiosity was negatively related to COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, knowledge about the vaccine was positively related to COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, and knowledge about the vaccine positively moderated the negative impact of religiosity on intention to get vaccinated. These findings suggest that challenging religious norms and increasing public awareness are crucial for COVID-19 vaccine adoption.