Vaccination stance in adolescents and emerging adults: The role of trust and knowledge

Abstract

The present study investigates the predictive contribution of generalized trust (in a relatively large circle of unfamiliar others, e.g., the authorities, healthcare system, alternative medicine) and particularized trust (in significant others, such as family members and friends) and vaccination knowledge in explaining the youth's vaccination intention, as well as the moderating role of vaccination status in the previously mentioned relationships. A total of 835 adolescents and emerging adults (aged 15 to 25, Mage = 18.35, SD = 2.86) from Serbia completed the measures of vaccination intention and vaccination status, generalized and particularized trust, and vaccination knowledge. The results of the hierarchical regression analysis showed that the prior uptake of the vaccine against the coronavirus (vaccination status) was the best predictor of the youth's intention to receive the coronavirus vaccine in the future (vaccination intention). In addition, trust in the authorities and media, trust in the health-care system and science, and knowledge about vaccines stood out as significant positive predictors, while trust in alternative medicine and God('s will) negatively influenced the behavioural intention to vaccinate. Contrary to expectations, trust in the family and friends did not contribute to the explanation of the AEA's intention to get vaccinated. Besides, no moderating role of vaccination status was detected; regardless of the vaccination status, the same determinants of the AEA's vaccination intention were registered. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed in the light of the importance of the development of evidence-based national vaccination programmes for young people that can have a preventive role in a period of global confidence crisis.