Philippine E-Journals

A Cross-Sectional Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccines among College Students

Andrea Denisse Verendia | Enrico C. Garcia

Discipline: Public Health

 

Abstract:

Widespread uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine is critical for ending the pandemic, however, the delay or refusal of individuals to take the vaccine often hinders the success of widespread vaccination. Hence, it is important to investigate vaccine acceptance and the possible factors associated with it, within a community to engage early in the vaccine decision-making process. This study aims to identify vaccine acceptance among college students and associate it with sociodemographic profile, knowledge on COVID-19 vaccines, and attitude towards vaccination. A cross-sectional survey design was utilized and an online questionnaire was administered to potential respondents. The obtained data were interpreted and analyzed using descriptive statistics and SPSS software for the statistical tools such as Pearson correlation and one-way ANOVA. One hundred eighty-five (185) college students participated in the study and 43.3% of them are likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine while 41.1% are still undecided. Most of the respondents are also concerned about the safety of the vaccines. Regarding COVID-19 vaccine knowledge, those who will likely get the vaccine have a higher mean knowledge score compared to those who are still undecided and are unlikely to take the vaccine. Moreover, there is a low negative correlation between negative attitudes and vaccine acceptance. In terms of sources of information for the vaccines, college students trust health care providers and pharmaceutical companies the most, while they do not trust the national government and social media. The findings of this study may contribute to forming or proposing strategies for promoting COVID-19 vaccination within the community.