Misinformation, perceptions towards COVID-19 and willingness to be vaccinated: A population-based survey in Yemen

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248325
• Publication Date: 2021-10-29T17:24:16Z
• Authors: Ahmad Naoras Bitar; Mohammed Zawiah; Fahmi Y. Al-Ashwal; Mohammed Kubas; Ramzi Mukred Saeed; Rami Abduljabbar; Ammar Ali Saleh J...; Syed Azhar Syed S...; Amer Hayat Khan
• Keywords: Male; Yemen; Sociology and Political Science; FOS: Political science; Social Sciences; Anxiety; Disease Outbreaks; 0302 clinical medicine; Sociology; Vaccination Refusal; Surveys and Questionnaires; Snowball sampling; 11. Sustainability; Automated Detection of Hate Speech and Offensive Language; Pathology; Psychology; Political science; Psychiatry; Communication; 4. Education; Q; Vaccination; Statistics; R; The Spread of Misinformation Online; FOS: Sociology; 3. Good health; FOS: Psychology; Descriptive statistics; Environmental health; Health; Worry; Physical Sciences; Misinformation; Medicine; Female; Research Article; Adult; COVID-19 Vaccines; Family medicine; Science; Population; FOS: Law; Vaccine Hesitancy; 03 medical and health sciences; Artificial Intelligence; FOS: Mathematics; Humans; Demography; COVID-19; Cross-Sectional Studies; Socioeconomic Factors; Computer Science; Factors Affecting Vaccine Hesitancy and Acceptance; Law; Mathematics

Background Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, many pharmaceutical companies have been racing to develop a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. Simultaneously, rumors and misinformation about COVID-19 are still widely spreading. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of COVID-19 misinformation among the Yemeni population and its association with vaccine acceptance and perceptions.

Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in four major cities in Yemen. The constructed questionnaire consisted of four main sections (sociodemographic data, misinformation, perceptions (perceived susceptibility, severity, and worry), and vaccination acceptance evaluation). Subject recruitment and data collection were conducted online utilizing social websites and using the snowball sampling technique. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed using SPSS version 27.

Results The total number of respondents was 484. Over 60% of them were males and had a university education. More than half had less than 100$ monthly income and were khat chewers, while only 18% were smokers. Misinformation prevalence ranged from 8.9% to 38.9%, depending on the statement being asked. Men, university education, higher income, employment, and living in urban areas were associated with a lower misinformation level (p <0.05). Statistically significant association (p <0.05) between university education, living in urban areas, and being employed with perceived susceptibility were observed. The acceptance rate was 61.2% for free vaccines, but it decreased to 43% if they had to purchase it. Females, respondents with lower monthly income, and those who believed that pharmaceutical companies made the virus for financial gains were more likely to reject the vaccination (p <0.05).

Conclusion The study revealed that the acceptance rate to take a vaccine was suboptimal and significantly affected by gender, misinformation, cost, and income. Furthermore, being female, non-university educated, low-income, and living in rural areas were associated with higher susceptibility to misinformation about COVID-19. These findings show a clear link between misinformation susceptibility and willingness to vaccinate. Focused awareness campaigns to decrease misinformation and emphasize the vaccination’s safety and efficacy might be fundamental before initiating any mass vaccination in Yemen.