Tag: Climate Change Disinformation

Background

The article describes attitudes towards vaccinations in Poland in relation to issues such as voluntary versus compulsory vaccinations, the method of financing vaccinations, the method of organizing and carrying out vaccinations, the cognitive and educational aspect of vaccines (how to obtain knowledge about vaccines) and the preferred model of work and research on new vaccines. Taking into account these issues, the authors have created four ideal models of preferred vaccination policies: (a) the market model; (b) the state model; (c) the vaccine hesitancy model; and (d) the civic–social model. This perspective makes it possible to better understand and learn about the various motives behind the attitudes of anti-vaccination movements, as well as to notice cracks and divisions among vaccination supporters and their attitudes towards the financing and organization of vaccinations.

Methods

The study was carried out using the CATI method on a representative random-quota sample of Polish society of 1000 people aged 18 and over. The study took age, sex, education and the size of the place of residence into account.

Additionally, in the Socio-demographic factors influencing attitudes towards vaccination practices in Poland section, we used the chi-squared test and regression analysis of factors influencing vaccination practices in Poland. PASW Statistics 18 (a version of SPSS) software was used for statistical analysis. Significant correlations were demonstrated at a significance level of 0.05% Pearson.

Results

This article has shown that attitudes towards vaccinations are embedded in broader divisions and orientations related to the vision of the social order: the role of the state, the organization of healthcare and payments for vaccinations and medical services, as well as preferred ways of knowledge production in society and work on new vaccines. The political sympathies and the age of the respondents were the most important variables influencing vaccination behaviour. The education of the respondents was less important.

Conclusions

A few years after the peak of the pandemic, the scope of anti-vaccination attitudes in Polish society ranges from 20% of the population (dogmatic anti-vaxxers) to 30% (vaccine hesitancy occurring depending on attitudes towards vaccinations).

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic and response severely impacted people living with non-communicable diseases (PLWNCDs) globally. It exacerbated pre-existing health inequalities, severely disrupted access to care, and worsened clinical outcomes for PLWNCDs, who were at higher risk of morbidity and mortality from the virus. The pandemic’s effects were likely magnified in humanitarian settings, where there were pre-existing gaps in continuity of care for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). We sought to explore factors affecting implementation of NCD care in crisis settings during the COVID-19 pandemic and the adaptations made to support implementation.

Methods

Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, we undertook an online survey of 98 humanitarian actors from multiple regions and organization types (March-July 2021), followed by in-depth interviews with 13 purposively selected survey respondents (October-December 2021). Survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics, while interview data were analysed thematically, using both deductive and inductive approaches.

Results

Initially, humanitarian actors faced challenges influenced by external actors’ priorities, such as de-prioritisation of NCD care by governments, travel restrictions and supply chain interruptions. With each infection wave and lockdown, humanitarian actors were better able to adapt and maintain NCD services. The availability of COVID-19 vaccines was a positive turning point, especially for the risk management of people with NCDs and protection of health workers. Key findings include that, despite pre-existing challenges, humanitarian actors largely continued NCD services during the crisis. Enabling factors that supported continuity of NCD services included the ability to quickly pivot to remote means of communication with PLWNCDs, flexibility in medicine dispensing, and successful advocacy to prioritize NCD management within health systems. Key lessons learned included the importance of partnerships and cooperation with other health actors, and the mobilisation or repurposing of community health workers/volunteer networks.

Conclusions

The COVID-19 experience should prompt national and global health stakeholders to strengthen inclusion of NCDs in emergency preparedness, response, and resilience planning. Key lessons were learned around remote care provision, including adapting to NCD severity, integrating community health workers, providing context-adapted patient information, combating misinformation, and strengthening cross-sectoral partnerships.

Introduction

US state legislatures introduced more than 500 anti-LGBTQ + bills in 2023, many of which specifically target trans youth. Anti-trans legislation is often supported by disinformation on topics such as gender-affirming healthcare. This study examined the extent to which Gen Z young adults believe such disinformation and the factors that predict belief.

Methods

Surveys were used in late 2022 and early 2023 to measure disinformation belief in a convenience sample of n = 103 undergraduate psychology students of different gender identities, SES, ethnicities, religious beliefs, and political views. Predictors included measures of conventionalism, such as social conservatism and religiosity, as well as transphobic attitudes, news consumption, and trust in government.

Results

Large majorities of participants doubted several pieces of disinformation, such as the pernicious “grooming” assertion; expressed uncertainty about some, such as the gender/sex distinction; and were split on others, such as the alleged athletic advantage of trans girls. Male, socially conservative, and religious individuals tended to exhibit stronger disinformation belief, as did those who expressed more trust in government. Regression analysis showed transphobic attitudes to strongly predict anti-trans disinformation belief, above and beyond demographic factors.

Conclusions

The results are consistent with prejudice-driven reasoning, stressing the need for prejudice reduction along with misinformation mitigation strategies like fact checking.

Policy Implications

The USA should reform media policy to counter the threat of disinformation and more widely adopt trans refuge policies that protect access to care and freedom from prosecution, and education policies that normalize gender diversity beginning in childhood.