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Infodemic, Institutional Trust, and COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: A Cross-National Survey

Author

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  • Xi Chen

    (Department of Sociology and Social Policy, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, China)

  • Woohyung Lee

    (The JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

  • Fen Lin

    (Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has been accompanied by a massive infodemic. Yet limited studies have quantified the impact of the COVID-19 infodemic on vaccine hesitancy. This study examined the effect of perceived information overload (IO) and misinformation on vaccine willingness and uptake within a cross-national context. It also investigated how trust in multiple institutions affected vaccine outcomes and moderated the relationship between the infodemic and vaccine attitude and behavior. A cross-national online survey of residents, representative of the general population aged ≥18 in six Asian and Western jurisdictions, was conducted in June 2021. The results showed that perceived IO was positively associated with COVID-19 vaccine willingness and uptake. Belief in misinformation was negatively associated with vaccine willingness and uptake. Institutional trust may increase vaccine willingness and uptake. Moreover, trust in the government and civil societies tended to strengthen the positive effect of IO and reduce the negative impact of misinformation on vaccine willingness and uptake. The relationship between belief in misinformation and getting vaccinated against COVID-19 was unexpectedly stronger among those with a higher level of trust in healthcare professionals. This study contributes to a better understanding of the main and interactive effect of the infodemic and institutional trust on vaccine outcomes during a pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Xi Chen & Woohyung Lee & Fen Lin, 2022. "Infodemic, Institutional Trust, and COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: A Cross-National Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-13, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:13:p:8033-:d:852453
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hyehyun Hong & Hyo Jung Kim, 2020. "Antecedents and Consequences of Information Overload in the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-15, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Željko Pavić & Emma KovaÄ ević & Adrijana Å uljok & Juraj Jurlina & Maja MiÅ¡kulin & Aida Mujkić & Ivan MiÅ¡kulin, 2023. "The Deficit and Contextual Models of Vaccine Hesitancy: A Test of the Mediation Paths," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, December.
    2. Yuan, Yaqi & Yeo, Shun Yuan & Lee, Kristen Schultz, 2024. "Different roles of interpersonal trust and institutional trust in motivating older adults to receive COVID-19 vaccines in Singapore," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).

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