A Psychosocial Model of COVID-19 Vaccination: Antecedent and Concurrent Effects of Demographics, Traits, Political Beliefs, Vaccine Intention, Information Sources, Mandates, and Flu Vaccine History

Abstract

Abstract Background To date, research investigating psychosocial correlates of COVID-19 vaccination has been cross-sectional, parochial, and/or reliant upon non-stratified international samples, resulting in difficulty in clarifying the contributions of various vaccination-related influences. Purpose The present study tested a novel integration of prospective and concurrent associations of demographic and dispositional tendencies, intervening illness and preventive beliefs, vaccine intention, illness experiences, and concurrent contextual vaccine-related influences with subsequent COVID-19 vaccination. Methods The preregistered study used a stratified online U.S. sample (N = 500), with assessments aligned to (a) “15 days to slow the spread” in March 2020, (b) vaccine authorization and major case/mortality surge during December 2020 and January 2021, and (c) the period following full vaccine approval in August 2021 during the third major/case mortality surge during September and October 2021. Results Path modeling showed the absence of children in the household and greater education were prospective predictors of vaccination. Trait openness and less conservative political beliefs showed indirect prospective associations with vaccination via stronger intermediating vaccine intention. Contextual vaccine-related influences of vaccine-related information sources, employer mandates, and flu vaccine history also showed direct associations with vaccination. In contrast to expectations, lower conscientiousness showed a direct prospective association with vaccination. Conclusions Controlling for interrelations among study variables, the results of the integrative psychosocial model clarified the unique contributions and pathways from antecedent characteristics to vaccination while accounting for vaccine-related contextual influences, providing further direction for refining the timing and content of public health messaging for vaccination.