Integrating stimulus-organism-response model and theory of planned behavior to explore athletes’ intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine booster—A moderated mediation model

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the factors influencing athletes’ intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine booster in Mainland China by integrating the stimulus-organization-response (SOR) model and theory of planned behavior (TPB) as the theoretical framework. Purposive sampling was used to select respondents from the National Games of the People’s Republic of China. Hard-copy questionnaires were utilized to collect data, resulting in 981 valid responses. Descriptive analysis and partial least squares structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data. The findings reveal that athletes’ subjective norm and knowledge significantly influence attitude, commitment, and perceived behavioral control. Attitude, commitment, and perceived behavioral control are verified as full mediators between subjective norm, knowledge, and intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine booster. Knowledge to commitment is the most powerful path to predict athletes’ intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine booster. Motivation moderates the relationships between knowledge, attitude, commitment, and perceived behavioral control. The integrating model’s explanatory power is 83.2%. Athletes’ knowledge is crucial in shaping a positive attitude, commitment, and perceived control, enhancing their intention to get the COVID-19 vaccine booster.