Determinants of the Attitude to COVID-19 Vaccine in Lima-Peru: Path Analysis and Structural Regression

IntroductionResearch on the effects of COVID-19 has shown that a favorable attitude toward the COVID-19 vaccine would help reduce the pandemic's sequelae and avoid lethal variants. ObjectiveA theoretical model was tested through the strategy of path analysis and structural equation modeling, seeking to evaluate the direct effect of neuroticism and the indirect effects of risk-avoidance and rule-following behaviors, mediated by attitudes toward science. MethodsA total of 459 adults, mostly women (61%), mean age 28.51 (SD = 10.36), living in Lima (Peru), participated. The scales of neuroticism, risk avoidance behavior (RAB), norm following (NF), attitudes toward science, and attitudes toward vaccination were administered. ResultsThe path analysis explained 36% of the variance in vaccine attitude, whereas the latent structural regression model achieved a 54% explanation; according to this model attitude toward science (beta=.70, p < .01) and neuroticism (beta=-.16, p < .01) are significant predictors of vaccine attitude. Likewise, risk avoidance behavior and rule-following have indirect effects on attitudes toward vaccination. ConclusionLow neuroticism and a positive attitude toward the science that mediates the effects of RAB and NF directly condition the possibility of vaccination against COVID-19 in the adult population.