Faculty Affairs and Academic Programs
Andrea Polonijo
Social Sciences; Public Policy; Public Affairs
Testing Prosocial Vaccine Messages to Reduce Disparities in Older Adults
This project tests whether prosocial messages increase vaccination intentions among older adults, focusing on socioeconomic status (SES), race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Despite their benefits, vaccines are underused among older adults, with lower uptake among lower-SES, racial/ethnic minority, and sexual minority groups. Vaccination is a prosocial behavior, protecting the individual, close contacts, and the broader community. Socially marginalized groups often report stronger prosocial orientations, potentially due to shared experiences of social disadvantage and reliance on social networks. My prior work shows that prosocial attitudes motivate HPV vaccination intentions among low-SES and racial/ethnic minority adolescent boys and their parents. This study extends that framework to older adults and multiple vaccines. I will conduct a randomized survey experiment using NORC’s Foresight 50+ Panel, a probability-based sample of U.S. adults aged 50+. Participants will complete demographic assessments and validated prosocial attitude scales, then be randomly assigned to messages emphasizing vaccination benefits to themselves, close contacts, or the broader community. Sample size will be determined in consultation with NORC. Multivariate regression will test whether (1) SES, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation predict prosocial attitudes; (2) alignment between attitudes and message framing predicts vaccination intentions; and (3) prosocial messages differentially affect intentions across social groups and vaccine types. This research reframes marginalized populations by highlighting strengths and may inform equitable, targeted vaccination interventions.
