GENDER AND RELIGION DIFFERENCES IN VACCINE-RELATED COMMUNICATION BEHAVIOURS AND COVID-19 VACCINE HESITANCY AMONG STUDENTS IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA

Abstract

This study focuses on how gender and religion account for variations in COVID-19 vaccine-related communication behaviours and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Christian and Muslim students in southwest Nigeria. While many studies exist on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Nigeria, none of them focus on the subject of religion, which is crucial in designing programmes to address the challenge of vaccine hesitancy in Nigeria. The study adopted a quantitative design, using the survey method and questionnaire as the instrument. 286 students were sampled for the study via a convenience sampling technique. The instrument fielded questions on participants' demographic characteristics, COVID-19 vaccine-related communication behaviours and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (using the validated Oxford COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy scale). The T-tests results showed that there is no statistically significant difference in the levels of males and females information searching (t = -.37 (p > .05)), information forefending (t = .38 (p > .05)) and vaccine hesitancy (t = .18 (p > .05)). However, the results showed that Muslim participants had higher levels of COVID-19 vaccine-related information searching behaviour (t = -2.55 (p < .05)), higher levels of COVID-19 information forefending behaviour (t = -2.33 (p < .05)), and lower levels of vaccine hesitancy (t = 2.65 (p < .01)) than the Christian students who participated in the study. The study concluded that religion is an important demographic variable to consider when formulating health promotion and education policies and designing programmes to reduce COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among young people in Nigeria.