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  • Latinx youth’s and parents’ covid-19 beliefs, vaccine hesitancy and vaccination rates: Longitudinal associations in a community sample
Title: Latinx youth’s and parents’ covid-19 beliefs, vaccine hesitancy and vaccination rates: Longitudinal associations in a community sample
Introduction The Latinx population has the second highest COVID-19 death rate among racial/ethnic groups in the United States and less than half of Latinx youth aged 5–17 years old completed their COVID-19 primary vaccination series as of September 2022. COVID-19 vaccine misinformation detrimentally impacts vaccination rates. In this study, we examined factors that predicted Latinx youth COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and vaccination status. Methods A community-based sample of 290 Latinx parent and adolescent dyads from a Southwestern metropolitan area of the United States who were recruited to complete an online survey at baseline at T1 (August 2020 –March 2021) and one year later. We tested a longitudinal mediation model in which we examined individual and family factors that would predict youth COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and vaccination status over time. Results Youth’s pandemic disbelief (i.e., the belief that the COVID-19 pandemic is a conspiracy or not real) predicted greater youth’s COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and in turn, a lower likelihood of youth’s COVID-19 vaccination. Youth’s pandemic disbelief also predicted greater parent’s vaccination hesitancy which, in turn, predicted greater youth’s vaccination hesitancy and a lower likelihood of COVID-19 vaccination. Parents’ pandemic disbelief predicted their own COVID-19 hesitancy, but not youth hesitancy Discussion Our study findings provide initial evidence that general pandemic disbelief was a significant driver of vaccine hesitancy and vaccination among Latinx families. The study contributes to the limited research investigating COVID-19 vaccination in the Latinx community and among Latinx youth, further aiding how COVID-19 vaccine disparities can be mitigated among racial/ethnic populations.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1917702
PAR ID:
10552073
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Editor(s):
Stimpson, Jim P
Publisher / Repository:
PLOS One
Date Published:
Journal Name:
PLOS ONE
Volume:
19
Issue:
7
ISSN:
1932-6203
Page Range / eLocation ID:
e0307479
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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