Factors contributing to coronavirus disease 2019 vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers in Iran: A descriptive-analytical study

Background: Despite the easy availability of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination services for healthcare workers (HCWs), some of them hesitate about receiving the vaccine. The aim of this study was to assess the factors contributing to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy (VH) among HCWs in Iran.

Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2021-2022. Participants were 551 HCWs selected through systematic random sampling from four leading university hospitals in Zanjan, Iran. A demographic questionnaire and a 36-item COVID-19 VH questionnaire were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software (v. 20) and through the independent-sample t-test, the one-way analysis of variance, and the multiple linear regression analysis.

Findings: Participants' age mean was 34.40 ± 7.77 years and most of them were female (65.9%) and married (70.8%) and had university education (88.6%). The mean score of VH was 96.29 ± 12.88 (in the possible range of 36-180), 79.49% of participants had moderate VH, and 17.42% of them had high VH. COVID-19 VH had significant relationship with organizational role, history of chronic disease, COVID-19-related knowledge, history of COVID-19 vaccination, and history of colleagues' or relatives' death after vaccination (P < 0.05). The significant predictors of COVID-19 VH were COVID-19-related knowledge (ß = -0.113; P = 0.008) and history of COVID-19 vaccination (β = 0.165; P < 0.001).

Conclusion: COVID-19 VH among HCWs is moderate to high, nurses have the highest VH, and the significant predictors of VH are COVID-19-related knowledge and history of COVID-19 vaccination.