Faith, Science, and Choice: Vaccine Attitudes Among Religious University Students

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Science
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Vaccine attitudes encompass beliefs, feelings, and evaluations regarding immunizations.
• Limited research exists on how students in faith-based universities form vaccine attitudes.
• Faith, science, family, and politics significantly influence decision-making in religious university settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine shared viewpoints on vaccination attitudes among students at a religious university.
• To understand the interplay of faith, science, and personal beliefs in shaping vaccine perspectives.
• To identify distinct attitudinal profiles regarding vaccination in this specific demographic.

Main Methods:

• Q-methodology was employed to analyze vaccination attitudes.
• A 37-statement Q-set was derived from a 240-statement concourse.
• Data were collected via digital Q-sorts from undergraduate students and analyzed using factor analysis.

Main Results:

• Three distinct viewpoints emerged, explaining 59% of the study variance.
• Viewpoint 1: Faith-Integrated Institutional Trust (moral duty, protection).
• Viewpoint 2: Skeptical Autonomy and Institutional Distrust (personal choice, distrust).
• Viewpoint 3: Pragmatic Autonomy and Science Confidence (individual decision-making).

Conclusions:

• Vaccination attitudes are influenced by trust, identity, and autonomy, beyond scientific understanding.
• Effective vaccine communication requires integrating scientific evidence with moral commitments and personal values.
• Tailoring messages to address concerns about freedom and trusted relationships is crucial, especially in faith-influenced settings.