- Mar 9, 2026
- Posted by:
- Category: Abstract of 10th-conferenceme
Abstract Book of the 10th International Academic Conference on Management and Economics
Year: 2026
[PDF]
Consumer Interest in a Norovirus Vaccine
Joshua Fogel
ABSTRACT:
Norovirus is very contagious and there is currently no norovirus vaccine. Once clinical trials demonstrate vaccine efficacy and there is government approval, marketers will need to address consumer vaccine hesitancy that increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research on consumer interest in a norovirus vaccine used data from before the COVID-19 pandemic and did not comprehensively study psychological variables. The study theoretical framework uses the psychological theory of protection motivation theory (PMT). PMT posits that both maladaptive response and adaptive response influence protection motivation and choosing to undergo a behavior to protect one’s health. The study aims are to study the association of psychological variables of PMT and vaccine hesitancy with intention to obtain a potential norovirus vaccine. Data were from a survey of 524 university students in New York City. The outcome variable was interest in obtaining a norovirus vaccine. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted. Mean age was 21.5 years (SD=3.76) and 45.2% were male. The study found that adaptive response variables of response efficacy (p<0.001) and self-efficacy (p<0.001) were each significantly positively associated with interest in obtaining a norovirus vaccine. Maladaptive response variables were not significantly associated with interest in obtaining a norovirus vaccine. The attitude that vaccines are typically not safe (p=0.003) and previously diagnosed with norovirus (p=0.04) were each significantly negatively associated with interest in obtaining a norovirus vaccine. In conclusion, marketers will need to address not only vaccine hesitancy but also those previously diagnosed with norovirus about the importance of using a norovirus vaccine.
Keywords: Attitudes; Consumer Behavior; Marketing; Psychological Theory; Vaccine Hesitancy