The effect of social media use disorder on vaccine hesitancy

Vaccine hesitancy is the situation where individuals avoid or delay vaccination due to concerns about the safety and necessity of vaccines, and is a significant problem that threatens global public health. Social media has become a widespread platform for accessing and sharing information about vaccines. However, false or misleading information spread on social media can increase vaccine hesitancy. Social media use disorder (SMUD) is defined as an individual's excessive and uncontrolled use of social media, which negatively affects their daily life, relationships, and health. It is thought that SMUD can affect individuals' approach to information and the way they evaluate it, as well as the decisions they make. In this context, the potential effects of SMUD on vaccine hesitancy are an important research topic in terms of public health. This study aims to examine the relationship between social media use disorder and vaccine hesitancy and the effects of socio-demographic variables. Within the scope of the study, a face-to-face survey was applied to 362 participants, and data were collected using the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (VHS) and Social Media Use Disorder Scale (SMUDS). Findings were analyzed using Kruskal Wallis-H, Mann-Whitney U, and Spearman's rho tests. The significance level was accepted as p<0,05. %35,1 (n=127) of the participants were between the ages of 25-34, %61 (n=221) were female, and %70,7 (n=256) were married. %49,7 (n=180) were university graduates, and %34,3 (n=124) worked in the public sector. %32,6 (n=118) had an income of less than 17,002 TL. The social media platform most used by the participants was Instagram with %61,6 (n=223). %40,9 (n=148) stated that they obtained health information through their family physician. According to the results, no significant correlation was found between vaccine hesitancy and social media use disorder (r=-0,051, p=0,333). In terms of socio-demographic variables, age (p=0,003), gender (p=0,011), marital status (p=0,032), education level (p=0,009) and employment status (p=0,014) factors were found to have a significant effect on social media use disorder. It was observed that individuals who received health information from social media or their environment had higher vaccine hesitancy than those who received health information from their family physician. In line with these findings, it is recommended that social media literacy be increased, health professionals develop effective communication strategies and awareness be raised against misinformation. In future studies, it is recommended that long-term studies be conducted to examine the effect of social media content on vaccine hesitancy.