Health literacy, religiosity, and political identification as predictors of vaccination conspiracy beliefs: a test of the deficit and contextual models

Pavić, Željko and Kovačević, Emma and Šuljok, Adrijana (2023) Health literacy, religiosity, and political identification as predictors of vaccination conspiracy beliefs: a test of the deficit and contextual models. Humanities and social sciences communications, 10. pp. 1-10. ISSN 2662-9992

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Abstract

IN ENGLISH: The primary focus of this paper is to investigate the influence of science literacy, particularly health literacy, on vaccine-specific conspiracy beliefs, within the broader context of vaccine hesitancy. The authors tested deficit (scientific literacy shapes science attitudes) and contextual models (contextual variables exert direct influence and influence the connection between literacy and science attitudes) in a survey research study (N = 729) in Croatia. The analytical approach included structural equation modeling with vaccination conspiracy beliefs as the outcome variable and health literacy, religiosity, and political identification as predictors. The results showed that lower health literacy and higher religiosity were related to higher vaccination conspiracy beliefs, which was not the case for political identification. In addition, the moderating effect of religiosity on the relationship between health literacy and conspiracy beliefs was confirmed. In contrast, the moderating effect of political identification was not confirmed, thus partially confirming the stronger version of the contextual model. The authors comparatively discuss the results by evoking specific socio-political characteristics of Croatian society as well as the reactions of political and religious organizations to the COVID-19 pandemic. --------------- IN CROATIAN: Primarni fokus ovog rada je istražiti utjecaj znanstvene pismenosti, posebno zdravstvene pismenosti, na vjerovanja u zavjeru o cjepivima, unutar šireg fenomena oklijevanja pri cijepljenju. Autori su testirali model deficita (znanstvena pismenost oblikuje stavove o znanosti) i kontekstualni model (kontekstualne varijable imaju izravan utjecaj i utječu na povezanost između pismenosti i stavova o znanosti) u anketnom istraživanju (N = 729) u Hrvatskoj. Analitički pristup uključivao je modeliranje strukturnih jednadžbi s uvjerenjima u zavjere o cjepivima kao varijablom ishoda te zdravstvenom pismenošću, religioznošću i političkom identifikacijom kao prediktorima. Rezultati su pokazali da su niža zdravstvena pismenost i veća religioznost povezani s vjerovanjima u zavjeru o cijepljenju, što nije bio slučaj s političkom identifikacijom. Osim toga, potvrđen je moderirajući učinak religioznosti na odnos zdravstvene pismenosti i vjerovanja u zavjere o cjepivima. Nasuprot tome, moderirajući učinak političke identifikacije nije potvrđen, čime je djelomično potvrđena jača verzija kontekstualnog modela. Autori komparativno razmatraju rezultate evocirajući specifične sociopolitičke karakteristike hrvatskog društva kao i reakcije političkih i vjerskih organizacija na COVID-19 pandemiju.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Language: English. - Title in Croatian: Zdravstvena pismenost, religioznost i politička identifikacija kao prediktori vjerovanja u zavjere o cjepivu: testiranje modela deficita i kontekstualnog modela. - Article number: 899.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	COVID-19, vaccination conspiracy beliefs, scientific/health literacy, religiosity, political identification (COVID-19, zavjere o cijepljenju, znanstvena/zdravstvena pismenost, religioznost, politička identifikacija)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Depositing User:	Karolina
Date Deposited:	05 Dec 2023 09:51
Last Modified:	08 Dec 2023 11:23
URI:	http://idiprints.knjiznica.idi.hr/id/eprint/1112

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