TY - JOUR
T1 - Belief in conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines among Brazilians
T2 - a national cross-sectional study
AU - Camargo, Emerson Lucas Silva
AU - Ribeiro, Caíque Jordan Nunes
AU - Santos, Guilherme Reis de Santana
AU - Almeida, Valdemar Silva
AU - Carvalho, Herica Emilia Félix de
AU - Schneider, Guilherme
AU - Vieira, Leticia Genova
AU - Alvim, André Luiz Silva
AU - Pimenta, Fabiana Guerra
AU - Carneiro, Liliane Moretti
AU - Batista, Odinéa Maria Amorim
AU - Sousa, Anderson Reis de
AU - Sousa, Álvaro Francisco Lopes de
AU - Ventura, Carla Aparecida Arena
N1 - Funding Information:
Coordena\u00E7\u00E3o de Aperfei\u00E7oamento de Pessoal de N\u00EDvel Superior\u2014CAPES\u2014Grant Number: 001/2023.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 by the authors.
PY - 2024/4
Y1 - 2024/4
N2 - Background: Vaccine hesitancy is a complex challenge that demands a comprehensive approach, one that not only acknowledges legitimate concerns within communities but also actively confronts misinformation. In this context, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of belief in conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines among Brazilians, seeking to understand the factors associated with this behavior. Method: Utilizing a national online survey conducted between May and August 2020, with a sample of 4247 participants, we conducted multivariate analysis to identify the independent determinants of this adherence, calculating adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs) and their 95% confidence intervals. Results: It was revealed that 27.7% of participants believed in at least one conspiracy theory. Factors associated with a higher level of adherence included agreement with at least one piece of COVID-19 misinformation on social media (APR: 3.65; 95% CI: 3.07–4.34), lack of difficulty accessing leisure activities during the pandemic (APR: 3.11; 95% CI: 1.85–5.24), age 50 years or older (APR: 1.70; 95% CI: 1.49–1.94), absence of difficulty accessing protective measures (APR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.26–1.72), use of face masks (APR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.33–1.97), non-use of at least one traditional media source for information (APR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.26–1.72), female gender (APR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.25–1.60), and age between 30 and 49 years (APR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.19–1.52). Conclusions: Our findings highlight that it is crucial to recognize that vaccine hesitancy is not merely an isolated phenomenon but often rooted in a complex interplay of social, cultural, psychological, and political factors. There is a need for multifaceted strategies to combat vaccine hesitancy, effectively address conspiracy theories, and consider the various factors associated with their prevalence.
AB - Background: Vaccine hesitancy is a complex challenge that demands a comprehensive approach, one that not only acknowledges legitimate concerns within communities but also actively confronts misinformation. In this context, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of belief in conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines among Brazilians, seeking to understand the factors associated with this behavior. Method: Utilizing a national online survey conducted between May and August 2020, with a sample of 4247 participants, we conducted multivariate analysis to identify the independent determinants of this adherence, calculating adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs) and their 95% confidence intervals. Results: It was revealed that 27.7% of participants believed in at least one conspiracy theory. Factors associated with a higher level of adherence included agreement with at least one piece of COVID-19 misinformation on social media (APR: 3.65; 95% CI: 3.07–4.34), lack of difficulty accessing leisure activities during the pandemic (APR: 3.11; 95% CI: 1.85–5.24), age 50 years or older (APR: 1.70; 95% CI: 1.49–1.94), absence of difficulty accessing protective measures (APR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.26–1.72), use of face masks (APR: 1.62; 95% CI: 1.33–1.97), non-use of at least one traditional media source for information (APR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.26–1.72), female gender (APR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.25–1.60), and age between 30 and 49 years (APR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.19–1.52). Conclusions: Our findings highlight that it is crucial to recognize that vaccine hesitancy is not merely an isolated phenomenon but often rooted in a complex interplay of social, cultural, psychological, and political factors. There is a need for multifaceted strategies to combat vaccine hesitancy, effectively address conspiracy theories, and consider the various factors associated with their prevalence.
KW - conspiracy theories
KW - COVID-19
KW - global health
KW - health belief model
KW - misinformation
KW - vaccine hesitancy
KW - vaccines
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85191371472&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/covid4040035
DO - 10.3390/covid4040035
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85191371472
SN - 2673-8112
VL - 4
SP - 518
EP - 530
JO - COVID
JF - COVID
IS - 4
ER -