Ideological Worldviews, Religiosity, and COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: Evidence from Greece

Abstract

To examine associations between ideological orientations, religiosity, and COVID-19 vaccine perceptions in Greece before the vaccination rollout. A sample of 166 Greek university students completed measures of Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA), Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), belief in a just world (BJW), and religiosity (general/COVID-related). Vaccine perceptions included perceived protection, side effects, institutional trust, and vaccination willingness. Higher SDO was associated with lower perceived protection and institutional trust. BJW associated with greater institutional trust. RWA and increased religiosity/spirituality were associated with stronger perceptions of vaccine side effects. Logistic regression showed that RWA was associated with vaccination reluctance. Indirect effect analysis indicated that increased religiosity/spirituality statistically accounted for part of the association between RWA and perceived vaccine side effects. Ideological orientations and pandemic-related religious engagement were associated with vaccine perceptions during the crisis. Findings highlight the relevance of existential threat and worldview defense to public health interventions.