Media consumption and COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy: health literacy as a response

ABSTRACTThis study explored the influence media consumption (i.e. news websites, television networks, and social media) and health literacy have on COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy. Controlling for participant political affiliation and general vaccine hesitancy, results indicated that both social media consumption and health literacy significantly predicted COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, whereas news websites and television networks did not produce significant effects. Together, these results highlight the importance of health literacy-focused interventions, with an emphasis on social media-based content as a means of promoting COVID-19 literacy.KEYWORDS: COVID-19vaccination hesitancyhealth literacymedia consumption Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Data availability statementUpon request, the dataset used in the current study can be made available by the authors.Supplementary materialSupplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/08824096.2023.2270904Additional informationFundingThis research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.Notes on contributorsAndrew C. TollisonAndrew C. Tollison (Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin) is an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director in the Department of Communication and Media at Merrimack College. Dr. Tollison's research interests include how individuals communicatively cope with chronic illness, patient-provider interactions, and health literacy.Ashley LoPrestiAshley LoPresti (M.A., Merrimack College) is a Content Creator in the Office of the Provost at Merrimack College. Her research interests include health communication, interpersonal communication with a focus on societal practices, and corporate social responsibility