Social Media COVID-19 Information and Vaccine Decision: A Latent Class Analysis

22 Pages Posted: 7 May 2021

See all articles by Noomen Guelmami

Noomen Guelmami

Sfax University,

Nasr Chalghaf

Sfax University,

Jianhong Wu

York University - Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics; Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence and Data Innovation Consortium

Jude Dzevela Kong

Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence and Data Innovation Consortium (ACADIC), York University

Bruce Mellado

University of the Witwatersrand

Haitham Jahrami

Arabian Gulf University

Maher Ben Khalifa

Sfax University,

Tannoubi Amayra

Sfax University,

Fairouz Azaiez

Sfax University,

Nicola Luigi Bragazzi

University of Parma

Date Written: May 7, 2021

Abstract

Aims: To identify the impact of the information consumption modalities related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its vaccine, on the vaccination decision among the social media users. Also to study the relationships between vaccination attitudes, and latent subgroups, socio-demographic variables, fear of COVID-19 and perceived stress. Method: A total of 723 subjects (male: n = 353; 48.8%; female: n = 370; 51.2%), aged 31.08 ± 10.77, participated in our survey prepared online on the Google Forms application via the platforms Twitter and Facebook. Results: Five latent classes were identified by the analysis: Class 1 (mixed consumers), class 2 (the largest consumers of social media), class 3 (consumers of official information), class 4 (low consumers of information on the vaccine) and class 5 (social media consumers information verifiers). Also, the subgroup that is knowledgeable about COVID-19 pandemic and its vaccine, and who consumes the most information about the vaccine from official sources, is the one with the highest vaccine acceptance rate. In addition, the hesitant attitude towards the COVID-19 vaccine was linked to gender and mask wearing, while refusal behavior was linked to age, female gender, education level, mask wearing, and fear of COVID-19. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that specific interventions on social media are needed, to reduce hesitancy rates, and the refusal of vaccination, which is crucial in this period of prevailing of COVID-19 virus.

Suggested Citation

Guelmami, Noomen and Chalghaf, Nasr and Wu, Jianhong and Kong, Jude Dzevela and Mellado, Bruce and Jahrami, Haitham and Ben Khalifa, Maher and Amayra, Tannoubi and Azaiez, Fairouz and Bragazzi, Nicola Luigi, Social Media COVID-19 Information and Vaccine Decision: A Latent Class Analysis (May 7, 2021). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3841301 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3841301

Noomen Guelmami

Sfax University, ( email )

Tunisia

Nasr Chalghaf

Sfax University, ( email )

Tunisia

Jianhong Wu

York University - Laboratory for Industrial and Applied Mathematics ( email )

Canada

Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence and Data Innovation Consortium ( email )

Jude Dzevela Kong

Africa-Canada Artificial Intelligence and Data Innovation Consortium (ACADIC), York University ( email )

4700 Keele St
Toronto, ON M3J 1P3
Canada

Bruce Mellado

University of the Witwatersrand ( email )

1 Jan Smuts Avenue
Johannesburg, GA Gauteng 2000
South Africa

Haitham Jahrami

Arabian Gulf University ( email )

Road 2904
Building 293
Manama, Manama 329
Bahrain

Maher Ben Khalifa

Sfax University, ( email )

Tunisia

Tannoubi Amayra

Sfax University, ( email )

Tunisia

Fairouz Azaiez

Sfax University, ( email )

Tunisia

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