The Effects of Perceived Efficacy Beliefs in Covid-19 Television Messages on Vaccine Adoption Behavior Among Youths in Kiambu County, Kenya

Abstract

The media play a key role when in sharing information during a pandemic. Knowledge on pandemics is shaped by the content aired via different channels of communication. The television messages on pandemic’s efficacy beliefs are designed to influence action. Borrowing from extended parallel model, perceived efficacy beliefs contain perceived response efficacy and perceived self-efficacy thus people’s reactions during stressful instances varies. This is because when individuals receive threat messages, they outweigh messages which increases their perceived efficacy. The effects of threatening messages depend on the magnitude of emotional response and efficacy beliefs. As such, the study aimed at determining the effects of perceived efficacy beliefs Covid-19 television messages on vaccine adoption behavior among youths in Kiambu County, Kenya. The study adopted cross-sectional research design and was a mixed research. The research design accounted for rejection and acceptance behavior after the vaccines were made available in August 2021.By use of simple random and convenience sampling techniques 384 youths were obtained for questionnaires. However, out 384 respondents only 346 respondents participated in the questionnaires. From the frequency analysis on perceived response efficacy 97.3% youths had perceived response efficacy beliefs while 2.7% lacked perceived response efficacy. The Chi-square test returned statistically significant results (X²=0.001, df=1, p=0.003). Additionally, 96.8% youths had perceived self-efficacy while 3.2% lacked perceived self-efficacy with Chi-square test results of (X²=0.025, df=1, p=0.014). These findings demonstrated that people acquire beliefs on threat control after receiving risk information. The perceived efficacy beliefs in Covid-19 television messages led to low vaccine uptake among youths in Kiambu County. The perceived efficacy beliefs are important, thus a starting point for more research on what informs the media reports when covering health issues such as pandemics.