Journal article
'I am not an anti-vaxxer': Women's Diverging Representations of COVID-19 Vaccination and Pregnancy
Journal of community & applied social psychology, Vol.35(2), pp.1-13
21/03/2025
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Abstract
Despite a disproportionate risk of harm from contracting COVID-19, pregnant women in Australia are reluctant to vaccinate. Drawing from social representations theory, this study investigated lay knowledge associated with women, pregnancy and COVID-19 vaccination towards the end of the pandemic. Women in regional New South Wales (N = 103; Mage = 39.76) completed an online survey comprising risk/benefit scales and a word association task. Results revealed that pregnant women and women considering pregnancy perceived 'pregnant women' as being at high risk from the COVID-19 virus and AstraZeneca vaccine. Regardless of pregnancy status, patterns in women's perceived risk of the virus and vaccines differed by vaccination status and reasoning. Risk and pregnancy issues frequently co-occurred in women's associations. However, the meaning of these associations varied in relation to women's vaccination experiences. Conceptualised as 'thema' risk/safety was central to a social representational field elaborated among women. Aspects of the representational field were elicited depending on self/other relations and diverging emancipated and polemic representations in response to institutional messaging.
Details
- Title
- 'I am not an anti-vaxxer': Women's Diverging Representations of COVID-19 Vaccination and Pregnancy
- Creators
- Shayleigh Walker-Jones - Southern Cross UniversityGail Moloney - Southern Cross UniversityMarie Hutchinson - Southern Cross University
- Publication Details
- Journal of community & applied social psychology, Vol.35(2), pp.1-13
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Number of pages
- 13
- Identifiers
- 991013269409702368
- Copyright
- © 2025 The Author(s)
- Academic Unit
- Human Sciences; SCU College; Faculty of Health
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article