Survival Analysis and Socio-Cognitive Factors in the Timing of COVID-19 Vaccination Among Mexican-Origin Youth

Su Yeong Kim; Wen Wen; Kiera M Coulter; Yayu Du; Hin Wing Tse; Yang Hou; Shanting Chen; Yishan Shen

doi:10.1007/s40615-024-01995-1

Survival Analysis and Socio-Cognitive Factors in the Timing of COVID-19 Vaccination Among Mexican-Origin Youth

J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2024 Apr 5. doi: 10.1007/s40615-024-01995-1. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Su Yeong Kim¹, Wen Wen², Kiera M Coulter³, Yayu Du², Hin Wing Tse², Yang Hou⁴, Shanting Chen⁵, Yishan Shen⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA. su.yeong.kim@utexas.edu.
² Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
³ Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
⁴ Department of Behavioral Sciences and Social Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
⁵ Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
⁶ School of Family and Consumer Sciences, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA.

PMID: 38580808
DOI: 10.1007/s40615-024-01995-1

Abstract

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected ethnic minority populations and exacerbated preexisting health disparities. The current study aims to promote vaccine uptake among Mexican-origin youth from immigrant families by examining their time to COVID-19 vaccine uptake and assessing the influence of demographic, cognitive, and social factors on the incidence of COVID-19 vaccination.

Methods: The study conducted Survival Analysis using a Cox proportional hazards model based on a sample of 202 Mexican-origin youth (61.39% female; M_age = 20.41) with data collected from August 2021 to January 2023 in central Texas.

Results: The results show a critical time period for vaccine uptake (i.e., in the first six months after the vaccines were publicly available), evidenced by a surge decrease in COVID-19 unvaccination probability. In addition, more positive attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine (Hazard ratio/HR = 1.89, 95% Confidence Interval/CI = [1.64, 2.18]), greater motivation (HR = 2.29, 95% CI = [1.85, 2.85]), higher education levels (HR = 1.52, 95% CI = [1.24, 1.86]), and fewer general barriers to COVID-19 vaccine knowledge (HR = 0.75, 95% CI = [0.60, 0.94]) were associated with greater incidences of receiving COVID-19 vaccines at any given time point during the pandemic.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Mexican-origin youth occurred primarily within the initial months of vaccines being publicly distributed. To encourage vaccination among Mexican-origin youth, sustained COVID-19 vaccine promotion efforts are needed by targeting their motivation and positive attitudes and reducing barriers to vaccine information, particularly for youth with lower education levels.

Keywords: COVID-19; Mexican-origin; Survival analysis; Vaccine; Youth.

Abstract

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