The Relation between Media Literacy and COVID-19 Vaccination

Background: Media literacy refers to a set of skills designed specially to help people make better health decisions while dealing with media tasks. The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between media literacy and willingness to be vaccinated among medical students. Methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study. The statistical population consisted of all students at Iran University of Medical Sciences, among whom, 389 samples were recruited. Two questionnaires were used: (1) Media Literacy and (2) Willingness to be Vaccinated. The validity of these questionnaires was confirmed by the content validity method and consultation with experts. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, t test, and one-way analysis of variance using SPSS v. 20 (SPSS Inc). Results: The willingness to be vaccinated was higher in men (23.04 ± 5.59) than in women (21.07 ± 3.77) and this difference was significant (P<.001). However, there was no significant difference between willingness to be vaccinated and marital status, educational level, and age. The findings showed a significant relationship between media literacy and willingness to be vaccinated. Conclusion The effect of media literacy on retrieving and recognizing accurate information is one of the crucial results of the present study. This skill affects an individual's willingness to make the right decision on timely COVID-19 vaccination.