Attitudes toward the pandemic and COVID-19 vaccination intention among German university students and the general population: Results from two cross-sectional surveys.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on nearly all people. Vaccines provide an effective tool to combat the pandemic, however, vaccination hesitancy remains an issue. This study aims to investigate (a) students' attitudes toward the pandemic, (b) potential differences in attitudes between university students and the general population, and (c) to examine predictors of vaccination intention in both samples. Methods: In this cross-sectional study data from two research projects were analyzed and compared. First, attitudes toward the COVID-19 pandemic in German university students were assessed within a cross-sectional anonymous online survey (March-April 2021, Results: In comparison to the general population, university students were significantly more likely to report being worried about/thinking about the coronavirus and to perceive the coronavirus as overrepresented in the media (all Conclusion: The results indicate differences in the attitudes toward the pandemic between university students and the general population. In addition, differences regarding factors associated with vaccination intention were found in both samples. These results could be important to be considered when designing and targeting vaccination campaigns aiming at informing different population or age groups. Study registration: DRKS00022424.