Predicting Corona Vaccine Acceptance Based on Corona Anxiety, Optimism and Rumination in Medical Sciences Students

Public vaccination programs are a way to control the Covid-19 disease. The success of a vaccination program requires the acceptance of the Corona vaccine by the society. The aim of the present study was to predict the acceptance of the Corona vaccine by medical students based on their anxiety, optimism and rumination.

Methods and Materials:

 This was a descriptive and correlational research. The study population consisted of all the medical students of Azad University, Tehran, Iran during the academic year 2021-2022, from among whom a sample of 509 was selected by the available sampling method. Data were collected using the Acceptance of the Corona Vaccine (KAPC), Anxiety of the Corona Virus (CDAS), Life Orientation (LOT) and Ruminative Responses Scale (RRS) questionnaires. The data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation, partial correlation and standard regression tests.

Data analysis showed that several variables including corona anxiety (with components of mental and physical anxiety), optimism (with components of expectation of a positive outcome and hope for the future) and confidence in the safety of vaccine could positively predict the acceptance of the Corona vaccine. Rumination (with two components of depression symptoms and brooding) negatively predicted the acceptance of corona vaccine. Finally, the reflecting component, age and gender could not significantly predict the acceptance of the Corona vaccine.

To increase the acceptance rate of corona vaccine, paying attention to the roles of psychological factors such as corona anxiety, optimism, trust, and rumination can be helpful.