Vaccine hesitancy in Türkiye: sociodemographic, health-related, and attitudinal correlates in the 2024 Turkish general social survey

Abstract Background Vaccine hesitancy is shaped by social position, health experiences, trust, and broader attitudinal factors. Evidence from Türkiye has largely focused on COVID-19 vaccination, convenience samples, or selected population groups. We examined sociodemographic, health-related, and attitudinal correlates of general vaccine hesitancy using data from the 2024 Turkish General Social Survey (TGSS). Methods This cross-sectional secondary analysis included 1,600 adults with valid responses to the TGSS vaccine hesitancy item, “In general, vaccines do more harm than good.” Responses were recorded on a 5-point scale and analysed descriptively as a binary measure and analytically as an ordinal outcome. Covariates were grouped into sociodemographic/socioeconomic, health-related, and information/belief/attitudinal domains. Univariable and multivariable ordinal logistic regression models were estimated. All analyses were unweighted. Results Higher vaccine hesitancy was independently associated with age 35–44 years (adjOR 1.67, 95% CI 1.14–2.44), primary school education (adjOR 1.44, 95% CI 1.07–1.93), residence in the Aegean region (adjOR 1.48, 95% CI 1.05–2.09), and higher self-rated religiosity. Lower hesitancy was associated with university education (adjOR 0.68, 95% CI 0.51–0.90), a master’s degree (adjOR 0.40, 95% CI 0.22–0.73), and high confidence in scientists (adjOR 0.52, 95% CI 0.32–0.85). Most health-related characteristics were not independently associated with hesitancy after adjustment, with arthritis/rheumatism as the main exception. General vaccine hesitancy was not significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Conclusions In this adult TGSS sample from Türkiye, vaccine hesitancy was more strongly patterned by sociodemographic and attitudinal factors than by most health-related characteristics. Education, regional context, religiosity, and confidence in scientists emerged as particularly relevant correlates, highlighting the importance of trust and social context in understanding vaccine hesitancy.