Modes of COVID-19 Information and Vaccine Hesitancy Among a Nationally Representative Sample of Asian Americans: The Moderating Role of Exposure to Cyberbullying
Year: 2023
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction : COVID-19 vaccination is an important public health intervention to curb the pandemic's magnitude and spread, and racial discrimination is a key predictor of COVID-19 preventive behavior, vaccine hesitancy, and uptake. This study evaluated the association of vaccine hesitancy with various modes of information on COVID-19 (i.e., online, social media) and the moderating role of cyberbullying among Asian Americans. Methods : We used population-weighted data from the nationwide Asian American & Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander COVID-19 Needs Assessment Survey, which was conducted from January to April 2021 (unweighted n=3,127). We examined the association of various modes of COVID-19 information and vaccine hesitancy, moderated by exposure to cyberbullying. Results : In general, 16% of Asian Americans reported vaccine hesitancy; 26% reported experiencing cyberbullying. Asian Americans reported receiving the majority of COVID-19 information from online sources (75%) and social media (52%). In unadjusted models, receiving information online (OR=0.46, 95%CI=0.33, 0.62, p <.001), via social media (OR=0.80, 95%CI=0.52, 0.93, p <.05), and via broadcast (OR=0.60, 95%CI=0.44, 0.81, p <.001) were significantly associated with a lower vaccine hesitancy. However, reporting any cyberbullying was associated with increased vaccine hesitancy (OR=1.39, 95%CI=1.02, 1.90, p <.05). The protective effects for COVID-19 information modes remained when accounting for health and sociodemographic factors, while the effect of cyberbullying was no longer statistically significant. Cyberbullying moderated the protective effect of broadcast information only, so those who received information via broadcast and reported experiencing cyberbullying had similar odds of vaccine hesitancy compared to those who did not receive information via broadcast. Conclusions : Online, social media, and broadcast remain important sources of information about COVID-19 for Asian Americans; however, experiencing cyberbullying can reduce the effectiveness of these sources in the uptake of the vaccine. COVID-19 information promotion strategies for Asian Americans must account for the role of cyberbullying in social media campaigns.
Source: AJPM Focus
Language: English
Subfield: Health
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,800
Funders: Ford Foundation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, California Wellness Foundation, JPB Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, California Endowment, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute on Aging, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Asian American Psychological Association, Weingart Foundation, Council of Fashion Designers of America
Awards: G10313227, G1955816838, G4445212455, G4748231120, The Role of Financial Strain, Discrimination, and Social Capital on the Health of Immigrants Over Time, G4974789231, G5049220986, G5514976981, G598052705, NYU Center for the Study of Asian American Health (CSAAH), G6772616977, G7031262648, G7200511930, Center for Improving Care Delivery for the Aging (CICADA)
OpenAlex ID: W4381611485