COVID-19 vaccine confidence among parents of racially diverse children aged 0–12 years old in Canada: The role of major experience of racial discrimination, health literacy, and conspiracy beliefs

The success of COVID-19 vaccination is linked to trust, hesitancy, and confidence. Racial discrimination impacts vaccine hesitancy and trust, particularly in racialized groups. This study investigates factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine confidence among Canadian parents from different racial groups, addressing a gap in existing research. Data were collected in 2023 (October to November) included 2,528 parents of children aged 0-12. Findings showed significant mean differences between racial groups, <i>F</i> (7, 2520) = 9.92, <i>p</i> < .001, with Arabs presented lower means of confidence (<i>M</i> = 30.26, <i>SD</i> = 9.39) compared to Asian (<i>M</i> = 35.71, <i>SD</i> = 8.14), Black (<i>M</i> = 33.23, <i>SD</i> = 9.50), and Indigenous parents (<i>M</i> = 35.07, <i>SD</i> = 9.45). Multiple linear regression among White participants showed that conspiracy beliefs were negatively associated with COVID-19 vaccine confidence (<i>β</i> = -.60, <i>p</i> < .001), whereas health literacy was positively associated with COVID-19 vaccine confidence (<i>β</i> = .09, <i>p</i> < .001). Results among racialized groups showed that conspiracy beliefs (<i>β</i> = -.23, <i>p</i> < .001) and racial discrimination (<i>β</i> = -.05, <i>p</i> = .049) were negatively associated with COVID-19 vaccine confidence, while health literacy was positively associated with COVID-19 vaccine confidence (<i>β</i> = .31, <i>p</i> < .001). This study highlights the complex factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine confidence among Canadian parents from racialized groups, suggesting that racial discrimination and conspiracy beliefs significantly reduce vaccine confidence, while health literacy plays a crucial role in increasing confidence. These results underscore the importance of addressing misinformation and systemic barriers to trust in vaccination efforts.