Psychometric development of the COVID-19 vaccine misinformation scale and effects on vaccine hesitancy

Stephen Bok; Daniel Martin; Erik Acosta; James Shum; Jason Harvie; Maria Lee

doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.102087

Psychometric development of the COVID-19 vaccine misinformation scale and effects on vaccine hesitancy

Prev Med Rep. 2023 Feb:31:102087. doi: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.102087. Epub 2022 Dec 6.

Authors

Stephen Bok¹, Daniel Martin², Erik Acosta³, James Shum⁴, Jason Harvie³, Maria Lee⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Marketing, College of Business and Economics, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, CA, USA.
² Department of Management, College of Business and Economics, California State University, East Bay, Hayward, CA, USA.
³ California State University, East Bay, Hayward, CA, USA.
⁴ Golden Gate University, San Francisco, CA, USA.
⁵ Nutritional Therapist, NTP, CMT, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.

Abstract

To help inform post-COVID-19 pandemic practical health policies, the researchers created the COVID-19 vaccine misinformation scale (CVMS). During the COVID-19 pandemic, falsehoods spread online which casted doubt and concerns about the vaccine. Example misconceptions included vaccination leads to greater vulnerability to other illness and would alter someone's DNA. The researchers performed two large surveys with U.S. participants. The researchers reviewed debunked COVID-19 vaccine falsehoods online. Construction of the CVMS followed standard psychometric scale development steps. Statistical analysis provided support for the 10-item CVMS with satisfactory reliability, discriminant validity, and convergent validity. Predictive validity regression analysis demonstrated the CVMS associated with higher vaccine hesitancy. The prevalence of vaccine misbeliefs broadened pandemic healthcare challenges. On top of existing duties, healthcare workers had to explain vaccine efficacy and safety to dispel fallacies. The researchers discuss implications for the CVMS within the context of motivated reasoning theory.

Keywords: Preventative health care; Psychometric validation; SARS-CoV-2 vaccine misinformation beliefs.