Work

How to solve sandwich generation’s conundrum on vaccination decisions for self, children, and parents? An empirical analysis by integrating social cognitive and social influence perspectives

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Vaccination against highly infectious diseases constitutes a major decision for the sandwich generation. However, a comprehensive understanding of the development of this critical decision is lacking. Toward this end, this study aims to investigate how two contrasting types of social influence, that is, compliance and conformity, distinctively shape the sandwich generation's self-efficacy about vaccination for themselves, their children, and their parents. A moderated structural equation model was tested on the data collected from 590 voluntary subjects across China. The results reveal that the components of the sandwich generation's self-efficacy: perceived safety, effectiveness, and trust in vaccines inflict differential effects on their vaccination decisions for themselves, their children, and their parents. Moreover, under high compliance, the sandwich generation shows a higher intention to vaccinate themselves and their parents than their children. Conformity weakens the effects of the sandwich generation's self-efficacy on their vaccination decisions for the three targets.

Source: Journal of Health Psychology

DOI: 10.1177/13591053251346381

Authors: Yan Li, Chenguang Tao, Bojiao Mu, Wei Liu, Long Zhang

Institutions: China University of Mining and Technology - Beijing, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Ankang City Central Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy

Subfield: Health

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: China University of Mining and Technology, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities