ปัจจัยที่มีผลต่อความตั้งใจในการฉีดวัคซีนโควิด-19 ของผู้สูงอายุที่ยังไม่เคยฉีดวัคซีนในภาคตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือของประเทศไทย

Abstract

COVID-19 is an emerging disease that has an impact on the health of the population and public health systems. An important measure to prevent COVID-19 infection and to reduce disease severity and mortality rates in older adults, who are at the highest risk for infection and death, is vaccination against COVID-19. This predictive correlational research, grounded in the Health Belief Model, aimed to 1) describe the intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and 2) identify factors influencing vaccination intentions among unvaccinated older adults. Independent variables included perceived susceptibility to COVID-19, perceived seriousness of COVID-19, perceived benefits of COVID-19 vaccines, perceived barriers to COVID-19 vaccination, and fear of COVID-19. Participants were 100 unvaccinated older adults living in Thung Khao Luang District, Roi Et Province, who were recruited using convenience and snowball sampling approaches between November 2023 and February 2024. Data were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. Results demonstrated that: 1. The mean intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine among unvaccinated older adults in this study was 2.71 (SD = 2.12), with a range from 0 to 10. 2. Perceived susceptibility to COVID-19, perceived seriousness of the disease, perceived benefits of vaccination, perceived barriers to getting vaccinated, and fear of COVID-19 collectively explained 19% of the variance in the intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (Nagelkerke's R² = 0.19). This prediction was statistically significant, χ² (1, N = 100) = 15.00, p < 0.01 and variable with the highest predictive power Perceived benefits of COVID-19 vaccines significantly predicted the intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. An increase in perceived benefits was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of COVID-19 vaccination intention among older adults (OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.14-2.08). Findings from this study offer valuable insights for nurses, medical personnel, and public health policymakers in developing services and strategies aimed at encouraging unvaccinated older adults to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This approach is crucial for reducing infection rates and mortality among the elderly population.