Predictors of Willingness to Receive Three Important Vaccines Among the Elderly: A Protection Motivation Theory Perspective
1
Department of Immunization Planning, Chengdu Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Chengdu Institute of Health Supervision), Chengdu, China
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Vaccines against influenza, pneumonia, and herpes zoster are essential for preventing and controlling infectious diseases in the elderly population, yet vaccination coverage remains quite inadequate. Guided by the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), this study examined predictors of the willingness of the elderly to receive these three vaccines, with the aim of informing population-level intervention.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 420 elderly individuals aged 60 and older in Chengdu, China, from August to October 2024, employing a multistage stratified sampling method. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was employed to assess the relationship between PMT cognitive factors and the willingness of the elderly to receive the three key vaccines, as well as the impact of health status.
RESULTS:
The willingness of the elderly to receive these three vaccines was moderate (16.7±5.0, range: 5-25). PMT had a high explanatory power for the willingness of the elderly to accept the three vaccines (R2=0.576). The four cognitive factors of PMT significantly predicted the willingness to vaccinate in the elderly: perceived vulnerability cognition (b=0.128, p<0.01), self-efficacy cognition (b=0.396, p<0.001) and response efficacy cognition (b=0.289, p<0.001) were positively correlated with willingness to vaccinate, whereas the response cost cognition (b=-0.102, p<0.01) negatively correlated with it. Self-efficacy cognition was the strongest predictor of vaccination willingness in the elderly. Health status had a moderating effect on the severity cognition→vaccination willingness path (diff b=-0.189, Comparison p<0.05), indicating that vaccination willingness among the elderly individuals with poor health status was positively influenced by perceived severity cognition (b=0.143, p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS:
Interventions to increase the willingness of older adults to receive these three important vaccines should focus on their beliefs about vaccination (self-efficacy, benefits, costs, and risk of infection) rather than on the disease severity—except among the older age groups with poor physical health.
Vaccines against influenza, pneumonia, and herpes zoster are essential for preventing and controlling infectious diseases in the elderly population, yet vaccination coverage remains quite inadequate. Guided by the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), this study examined predictors of the willingness of the elderly to receive these three vaccines, with the aim of informing population-level intervention.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 420 elderly individuals aged 60 and older in Chengdu, China, from August to October 2024, employing a multistage stratified sampling method. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was employed to assess the relationship between PMT cognitive factors and the willingness of the elderly to receive the three key vaccines, as well as the impact of health status.
RESULTS:
The willingness of the elderly to receive these three vaccines was moderate (16.7±5.0, range: 5-25). PMT had a high explanatory power for the willingness of the elderly to accept the three vaccines (R2=0.576). The four cognitive factors of PMT significantly predicted the willingness to vaccinate in the elderly: perceived vulnerability cognition (b=0.128, p<0.01), self-efficacy cognition (b=0.396, p<0.001) and response efficacy cognition (b=0.289, p<0.001) were positively correlated with willingness to vaccinate, whereas the response cost cognition (b=-0.102, p<0.01) negatively correlated with it. Self-efficacy cognition was the strongest predictor of vaccination willingness in the elderly. Health status had a moderating effect on the severity cognition→vaccination willingness path (diff b=-0.189, Comparison p<0.05), indicating that vaccination willingness among the elderly individuals with poor health status was positively influenced by perceived severity cognition (b=0.143, p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS:
Interventions to increase the willingness of older adults to receive these three important vaccines should focus on their beliefs about vaccination (self-efficacy, benefits, costs, and risk of infection) rather than on the disease severity—except among the older age groups with poor physical health.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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