What drives maternal RSV vaccine uptake? Understanding psychological predictors in Chilean women.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination during pregnancy protects infants, yet its psychosocial determinants remain understudied. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, this cross-sectional study examined predictors of RSV vaccination intention in a convenience sample of 463 Chilean women of reproductive age recruited through social media. Structural equation modeling showed good fit and explained 64.7% of the variance of intention, controlling for age, number of children, perceived social status, children`s vaccination status, and conspiracy beliefs. Positive attitudes were the strongest predictor (B = 0.422, p < 0.05), followed by negative attitudes (B = -0.284, p < 0.05), perceived infant risk (B = 0.155, p < 0.05), and pro-vaccination social norms (B = 0.100, p < 0.05). Perceived maternal risk was not significant (B = 0.027, p = 0.589). Findings highlight the role of attitudes and infant risk perceptions in shaping intention, with implications for communication strategies promoting maternal RSV vaccination.