Work

Gender disparities in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in high-income countries: an umbrella review protocol

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Vaccine hesitancy remains a critical public health challenge, especially in high-income countries. Gender differences in vaccine hesitancy can significantly affect vaccination rates and public health outcomes. The aim of this research is performing an umbrella review and meta-analysis to systematically investigate gender disparities in vaccine hesitancy for COVID-19 in high-income countries, as well as the quality, potential biases and dependability of epidemiological evidence. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The study will systematically search, extract and analyse data from reported systematic reviews and meta-analyses that focus specifically on gender differences in vaccine hesitancy. The search will include CINAHL, Cochrane Library, PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE and Epistemonikos for studies published from 2019 onward. The inclusion criteria will encompass systematic reviews and meta-analyses of non-interventional studies conducted in high-income countries. The identified factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy will be categorised based on demographic, psychological, social and economic dimensions. The methodological quality of the included meta-analyses will be assessed using the "Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Systematic Reviews and Research Syntheses" tool. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required for this umbrella review. These results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42024572978.

Source: BMJ Open

DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-095490