Impact of social media use on influenza vaccine hesitancy among pediatric healthcare workers: The mediating role of 3Cs.

Evidence on the association between social media use and vaccine hesitancy has been inconsistent, and research on the mechanisms underlying this relationship remains limited. This study aimed to examine whether confidence, complacency, and convenience (3Cs) mediate the association between social media use and influenza vaccine hesitancy. An online questionnaire survey was conducted among 464 pediatric healthcare workers in a tertiary hospital in December 2024. The questionnaire assessed social media use (including trust and exposure), vaccine hesitancy, and the 3Cs. Reliability and validity were examined. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to estimate the direct and indirect effects of social media use on vaccine hesitancy. The model included social media trust, social media exposure, the 3Cs, and vaccine hesitancy as key variables. Convenience sampling was used. A total of 439 valid questionnaires were included in the analysis. The measures of vaccine hesitancy, social media use, and 3Cs demonstrated good reliability and validity. The Cronbach's α coefficients were 0.797, 0.928, and 0.859, respectively, and the corresponding Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) values were 0.908, 0.882, and 0.91. Confidence significantly mediated the association between social media use and vaccine hesitancy, accounting for 34.9% of the total effect of social media trust on vaccine hesitancy (p = .001) and 30.7% of the total effect of social media exposure on vaccine hesitancy (p = .001). Greater trust in social media and greater exposure to vaccine-related information may be associated with lower influenza vaccine hesitancy among pediatric healthcare workers, primarily through increased vaccine confidence. Governments and health institutions should make better use of social media to disseminate evidence-based vaccine information through official channels and curb the spread of misinformation.