Cross-sectional study on Intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in Benin and Senegal : a structural equation modelling (SEM)

Abstract

AbstractIntroductionVaccination is considered one of the solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a small proportion of the population was fully vaccinated in Benin (20.9%) and Senegal (7.6%) by December 2022. This study explores the determinants of intent to vaccinate.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study of 865 Beninese and 607 Senegalese aged 18 years and older. Marginal quota sampling by age, gender and region was adopted. Data collection, using a survey instrument based on the Random Digit Dialing (RDD) method, was conducted from December 24, 2020, to January 16, 2021, in Senegal and from March 29 to May 14, 2021, in Benin. The questionnaire used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Health Belief Model (HBM). The influence of factors was tested using a structural equation model. All analyses were conducted in R.ResultsResults show that a good perception of the benefits of vaccination (βsen=0.33***; βBen=0.12***), a positive attitude (βsen=0.22***; βBen=0.20***), and sensitivity to subjective norms (βsen=0.19***; βBen=0.32***) positively influence the intention to vaccinate. Low trust in health care providers (βsen=-0.40***; βBen=-0.36***) amplifies the perceived risk of vaccination (βsen=-0.14***; βBen=-0.25***), which negatively impacts intention to vaccinate. Perceived vaccine efficacy was affected by perceived risk (βsen=-0.12***; βBen=-0.05***) of the disease and improved by good apprehension of the benefits of vaccination (βsen=0.60***; βBen=0.13***). Aspects related to behavioral control, vaccine information seeking, efficacy, or fairness did not appear as correlates of vaccine intention (P>0.05).ConclusionBeninese and Senegalese public health authorities could develop additional intervention strategies to improve immunization coverage by considering these influencing factors, the basis of which could be better understood through subsequent qualitative studies.