Personality and vaccination: regional variation and determinants of COVID-19 vaccination attitudes among the elderly in Central and Eastern Europe

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12775/bgss-2025-0025

Keywords

COVID-19 vaccination, regional disaggregation, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), two-level logistic regressions, SHARE

Abstract

The level of vaccination against COVID-19 in Europe varied widely, despite the generally widespread availability of vaccines since 2021. This study investigates the regional diversity of vaccination attitudes among people aged 50 or over in Central and Eastern European countries (CEE) and the association between personality and COVID-19 vaccination attitudes on the individual level. The data were obtained from Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), Eurostat and the European Quality of Government Index. The 11 countries were divided into 62 to 259 regions, primarily based on SHARE Internal NUTS release. The logistic regression of vaccination attitudes showed that high agreeableness, low neuroticism and, less importantly, high openness, are positively associated with vaccination willingness. Vaccination willingness increases with age and education and is higher for each of three respondent characteristics: multimorbidity, living with a partner, and living in urban areas...

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2025-07-23

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TARACHA, Michał, STYRC, Marta and WRÓBLEWSKA, Wiktoria. Personality and vaccination: regional variation and determinants of COVID-19 vaccination attitudes among the elderly in Central and Eastern Europe. Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series. Online. 23 July 2025. No. 69, pp. 21-35. [Accessed 27 December 2025]. DOI 10.12775/bgss-2025-0025.

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