Contextual generalized trust and immunization against the 2009 A(H1N1) pandemic in the American states: A multilevel approach

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate the association between contextual generalized trust and individual-level 2009 A(H1N1) pandemic immunization acceptance. A second aim was to investigate whether knowledge about the A(H1N1) pandemic mediated the association between contextual generalized trust and A(H1N1) immunization acceptance. Data from the National 2009 H1N1 Flu Survey was used. To capture contextual generalized trust, data comes from an aggregation of surveys measuring generalized trust in the American states. To investigate the association between contextual generalized trust and immunization acceptance, while taking potential individual-level confounders into account, multilevel logistic regression was used. The investigation showed contextual generalized trust to be significantly associated with immunization acceptance. However, controlling for knowledge about the A(H1N1) pandemic did not substantially affect the association between contextual generalized trust and immunization acceptance. In conclusion, contextual state-level generalized trust was associated with A(H1N1) immunization, but knowledge about A(H1N1) was not mediating this association.

Italian Community Psychology in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Shared Feelings and Thoughts in the Storytelling of University Students

“…Moreover, in line with literature (Rönnerstrand, 2016 ; Sibley et al, 2020 ), there is an increased sense of trust in political institutions in which the interviewees recognize an attitude of care and attention, as well as toward other citizens. Therefore, trust for interviewees is a necessary condition for overcoming the crisis situation.…”

“…Moreover, Rönnerstrand (2016) observed that contextual, generalized trust has been linked to immunization, in line with the literature that argues that being a trustful individual and residing in a community characterized by trust among members influences health and health behavior (Kawachi et al, 1999;Rose, 2000;Hyyppä and Mäki, 2001;Subramanian et al, 2003;Di Napoli et al, 2019b).…”

The evolution of the association between community level social capital and COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations in the United States

“…Evidence on the role of social and civic capital on information acquisition and mobility changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, both voluntary and in response to regulations, is emerging ( Bargain & Aminjonov, 2020 ; Durante, Guiso & Gulino, 2021 ; Borgonovi & Andrieu, 2020 ; Bartscher et al, 2020 ; Barrios et al, 2020 ). Social capital has also been identified as an important asset for individuals and communities during previous pandemics such as the H1N1 pandemic, leading to greater awareness and adoption of health protective behaviors, such as wearing face masks and vaccinating ( Chuang, Huang & Tseng, 2015 ; Rönnerstrand, 2014 ; 2016 ).…”

Does social capital contribute to prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic? Empirical evidence from China

“…Also, trust makes people prioritize the common good [ 5 ]. Members of societies characterized by high levels of trust tend to take more precautions against an epidemic [ 25 , 26 ] and have higher immunization acceptance [ 27 ], because trust may be a factor prompting people to pay attention to how their own decisions affect disease transmission in the wider community.…”