The use of Health Belief Model (HBM) to explain factors underlying people to take the COVID-19 vaccine in Indonesia.

Background: SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) has severely impacted people's health worldwide. Vaccines are one of the health measures taken to reduce the impact of COVID-19, but recent reports have revealed that some people are reluctant to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Understanding the factors underlying an individual's decision to take the COVID-19 vaccine is critical to designing an immunisation programme. This study examines factors that influence the intention to take a COVID-19 vaccine using the modified Health Belief Model (HBM) framework and analysing demographic factors. Method: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from 10 January to 20 January 2021. Five hundred thirty-seven respondents above 17 years old and residing in Indonesia voluntarily completed an online survey. Survey questions addressed sociodemographic factors; perception of susceptibility, severity, benefits and barriers; cues to action; and intention to take the COVID-19 vaccine. A Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) approach with SmartPLS software was used to analyse the measurements and model construct. Findings: The results showed that the perception of susceptibility, severity, benefits and barriers, as well as cues to action, predicted people's intention to take a COVID-19 vaccine. Model structure explained a large proportion of variance in people's intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19 (R Conclusion: Despite limitations to the study, such as respondent demographics that are unrepresentative of the wider Indonesian population, inadequate survey timing and an exclusive focus on vaccine intention as the outcome variable, the present study contributes to explaining individuals' intentions to take a COVID-19 vaccine in a Eastern country context. This study is valuable to providing public health policy recommendations that focus on effectively designing immunisation programme interventions.