To characterize factors associated with parents’ trust in messengers of COVID-19 guidance and determine whether trust in their doctors is associated with COVID-19 vaccination.
Design
Web-based and mailed survey (January-June 2022).
Setting
Maryland, USA.
Subjects
567 parents/caregivers of public elementary and middle school students.
Measures
Parents rated trust in 9 messengers on a 4-point scale [“not at all” (0) to “a great deal” (3)], dichotomized into low (0-1) vs high (2-3). They reported on health insurance, income, race, ethnicity, education, sex, urbanicity, political affiliation, and COVID-19 vaccination.
Analysis
ANOVA and t-tests were computed to compare overall trust by parent characteristics. Multivariable logistic regression was run to evaluate factors associated with high trust for each messenger. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between trust in doctors and odds of COVID-19 vaccination.
Results
Most trusted messengers were doctors (M = 2.65), family members (M = 1.87), and schools (M = 1.81). Parents’ trust varied by racial identity, sex, urbanicity, health insurance, and political affiliation. Greater trust in their or their child’s doctor was associated with greater odds of child (aOR: 2.97; 95% CI: 1.10, 7.98) and parent (aOR: 3.30; 95% CI: 1.23, 1.47) vaccination.
Conclusion
Parent characteristics were associated with trust, and trust was linked to vaccination. Public health professionals should anticipate variability in trusted messengers to optimize uptake of public health guidance.
KanekarASThombreA. Fake medical news: Avoiding pitfalls and perils. Fam Med Community Heal. 2019;7(4):e000142. doi:10.1136/fmch-2019-000142
2.
PennycookGMcPhetresJZhangYLuJGRandDG. Fighting COVID-19 misinformation on social media: Experimental evidence for a scalable accuracy-nudge intervention. Psychol Sci. 2020;31(7):770-780. doi:10.1177/0956797620939054
3.
CairnsGde AndradeMMacDonaldL. Reputation, relationships, risk communication, and the role of trust in the prevention and control of communicable disease: A review. J Health Commun. 2013;18(12):1550-1565. doi:10.1080/10810730.2013.840696
LatkinCADaytonLStricklandJCColonBRimalRBoodramB. An assessment of the rapid decline of trust in US sources of public information about COVID-19. J Health Commun. 2020;25(10):764-773. doi:10.1080/10810730.2020.1865487
7.
LuLLiuJYuanYCBurnsKSLuELiD. Source trust and COVID-19 information sharing: the mediating roles of emotions and beliefs about sharing. Heal Educ Behav. 2021;48(2):132-139. doi:10.1177/1090198120984760
8.
ArgotePBarhamEDalySZGerezJEMarshallJPocasangreO. The shot, the message, and the messenger: COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in Latin America. Npj Vaccines. 2021;6(1):118. doi:10.1038/s41541-021-00380-x
9.
KalocsányiováEEssexRFortuneV. Inequalities in covid-19 messaging: A systematic scoping review. Health Commun:1-10. Published online July 19, 2022. doi:10.1080/10410236.2022.2088022
10.
GoidelKCallaghanTWashburnDJ, et al.Physician trust in the news media and attitudes toward COVID-19. J Health Polit Policy Law. Published online November 23, 2022. doi:10.1215/03616878-10358696
11.
LarsonHLeaskJAggettSSevdalisNThomsonA. A multidisciplinary research agenda for understanding vaccine-related decisions. Vaccines. 2013;1(3):293-304. doi:10.3390/vaccines1030293
12.
MacDonaldNE. Vaccine hesitancy: Definition, scope and determinants. Vaccine. 2015;33(34):4161-4164. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.04.036
13.
TettehEKCombsTGengEHMcKayVR. Public health information seeking, trust, and COVID-19 prevention behaviors: Cross-sectional study. J Med Internet Res. 2022;24(9):e37846. doi:10.2196/37846
14.
TablerJSnyderJAWhiteCFrengAThunströmL. COVID-19 health practices and attitudes in the United States: The role of trust in healthcare. J Public Health. 2022. Published online August 6. doi:10.1007/s10389-022-01737-9
15.
SzilagyiPGThomasKShahMD, et al.The role of trust in the likelihood of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine: Results from a national survey. Prev Med. 2021;153:106727. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106727
16.
RozekLSJonesPMenonAHickenAApsleySKingEJ. Understanding vaccine hesitancy in the context of COVID-19: The role of trust and confidence in a seventeen-country survey. Int J Public Health. 2021;66:636255. doi:10.3389/ijph.2021.636255
17.
SilverDKimYMcNeillEPiltch-LoebRWangVAbramsonD. Association between COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and trust in the medical profession and public health officials. Prev Med. 2022;164:107311. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107311
18.
BagasraABDoanSAllenCT. Racial differences in institutional trust and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and refusal. BMC Publ Health. 2021;21(1):2104. doi:10.1186/s12889-021-12195-5
19.
TorresCOgbu-NwobodoLAlsanM, et al.Effect of physician-delivered COVID-19 public health messages and messages acknowledging racial inequity on Black and white adults’ knowledge, beliefs, and practices related to COVID-19. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(7):e2117115. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.17115
20.
TamCCQiaoSLiX. Factors associated with decision making on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among college students in South Carolina. Psychol Health Med. 2022;27(1):150-161. doi:10.1080/13548506.2021.1983185
21.
MantMAslemandAPrineAJaagumägi HollandA. University students’ perspectives, planned uptake, and hesitancy regarding the COVID-19 vaccine: A multi-methods study. WestJC, ed. PLoS One. 2021;16(8):e0255447. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0255447
22.
SandlerKSrivastavaTFawoleOAFasanoCFeemsterKA. Understanding vaccine knowledge, attitudes, and decision-making through college student interviews. J Am Coll Heal. 2019;68(6):593-602. doi:10.1080/07448481.2019.1583660
HarrisPATaylorRThielkeRPayneJGonzalezNCondeJG. Research electronic data capture (REDCap)—A metadata-driven methodology and workflow process for providing translational research informatics support. J Biomed Inform. 2009;42(2):377-381. doi:10.1016/j.jbi.2008.08.010
ViswanathKBekaluMDhawanDPinnamaneniRLangJMcLoudR. Individual and social determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake. BMC Publ Health. 2021;21(1):818. doi:10.1186/s12889-021-10862-1
34.
SzilagyiPGShahMDDelgadoJR, et al.Parents’ intentions and perceptions about COVID-19 vaccination for their children: Results from a national survey. Pediatrics. 2021;148(4):e2021052335. doi:10.1542/peds.2021-052335
35.
MajidUAhmadM. The factors that promote vaccine hesitancy, rejection, or delay in parents. Qual Health Res. 2020;30(11):1762-1776. doi:10.1177/1049732320933863
36.
DubéEGagnonDMacDonaldNBocquierAPeretti-WatelPVergerP. Underlying factors impacting vaccine hesitancy in high income countries: A review of qualitative studies. Expert Rev Vaccines. 2018;17(11):989-1004. doi:10.1080/14760584.2018.1541406
37.
NowakSAGidengilCAParkerAMMatthewsLJ. Association among trust in health care providers, friends, and family, and vaccine hesitancy. Vaccine. 2021;39(40):5737-5740. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.08.035
38.
BestALFletcherFEKadonoMWarrenRC. Institutional distrust among African Americans and building trustworthiness in the COVID-19 response: Implications for ethical public health practice. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2021;32(1):90-98. doi:10.1353/hpu.2021.0010
39.
HupceyJEPenrodJMorseJMMitchamC. An exploration and advancement of the concept of trust. J Adv Nurs. 2001;36(2):282-293. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.2001.01970.x
40.
CallaghanTWashburnDGoidelK, et al.Imperfect messengers? An analysis of vaccine confidence among primary care physicians. Vaccine. 2022;40(18):2588-2603. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.03.025
41.
Romero StarkeKReissigDPetereit-HaackGSchmauderSNienhausASeidlerA. The isolated effect of age on the risk of COVID-19 severe outcomes: A systematic review with meta-analysis. BMJ Glob Heal. 2021;6(12):e006434. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2021-006434
