{
  "abstract": "Religion has contributed to societal divides regarding COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. In this study, we conducted a secondary analysis of a survey of U.S. adults (N = 4939) focused on how religious affiliations, beliefs, and practices impact attitudes toward genetic and genomic activities, one of which was mRNA vaccines. The dataset included large samples of participants from six religious groups in the U.S. (Black Protestant, Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, Jewish, Mainline Protestant, and Muslim), as well as individuals who were atheist, agnostic, or spiritual. ANCOVA results indicated that Evangelical Protestant participants showed significantly less support for mRNA vaccines than other groups, while atheist participants were the most supportive. Muslim participants had the highest concerns, whereas atheist participants had the lowest. Regression analyses indicated the strongest predictors of support for mRNA vaccines were more spiritual community support for community health, followed by higher acceptance of evolution, more liberal political orientation, less distrust toward the healthcare system, higher frequency of attending religious activities, higher income, lower fundamentalist religious beliefs, and more spiritual community support for liberal reproductive and end of life views. The strongest predictors of concerns about mRNA vaccines were more distrust toward the healthcare system and more conservative political orientation, followed by less spiritual community support for community health, stronger beliefs about God in the body, more fundamentalist religious beliefs, and lower knowledge of genetics. The large sample size and examination of a broad array of religious variables alongside distrust and political orientation offer new insights. These findings add to the literature on the culture wars surrounding mRNA vaccines, and can perhaps aid in future efforts to build trust and relationships between public health and religious communities.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Division of General Medicine & Geriatrics, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America",
    "Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University, La Mirada, California, United States of America"
  ],
  "article_type": "Research Article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Erin D. Solomon"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Eu Gene Chin"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kari Baldwin"
    },
    {
      "name": "Lauren L. Baker"
    },
    {
      "name": "James M. DuBois"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9gjrvdyx7gzrt.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1371/journal.pgph.0006330",
  "fulltext_url": "https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0006330",
  "id": "9gjrvdyx7gzrt",
  "issns": [
    "2767-3375"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0006330",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "3306|Vaccine Coverage and Hesitancy"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Immunology/Vaccination and immunization/Vaccine development"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Biology and life sciences/Psychology/Psychological attitudes"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Immunology/Vaccination and immunization/Vaccine development"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Medical conditions/Infectious diseases/Infectious disease control/Vaccines"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Medicine and health sciences/Public and occupational health/Preventive medicine/Vaccination and immunization/Vaccine development"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/People and places/Population groupings/Religious faiths"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Physical sciences/Mathematics/Statistics/Statistical methods/Forecasting"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Research and analysis methods/Mathematical and statistical techniques/Statistical methods/Forecasting"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Social sciences/Anthropology/Cultural anthropology/Religion"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Social sciences/Political science/Governments/Political parties"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Social sciences/Political science/Political aspects of health"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Social sciences/Psychology/Psychological attitudes"
    ],
    [
      "plos",
      "/Social sciences/Sociology/Religion"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7212015776",
  "pdf_url": "https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0006330&type=printable",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-09-09",
  "publisher": "Public Library of Science",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9gjrvdyx7gzrt.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:56Z",
      "native_id": "10.1371/journal.pgph.0006330",
      "source": "plos",
      "url": "https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0006330"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "plos:immunology",
      "subfield": "immunology"
    },
    {
      "field": "mathematics",
      "origin": "plos:statistical methods",
      "subfield": "statistics"
    },
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "plos:infectious diseases",
      "subfield": "infectious-disease"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Religious beliefs and practices, political orientation, and distrust in healthcare predict attitudes toward mRNA vaccines in the United States",
  "title_text": "Religious beliefs and practices, political orientation, and distrust in healthcare predict attitudes toward mRNA vaccines in the United States",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:56Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9gjrvdyx7gzrt",
  "venue": "PLOS Global Public Health",
  "versions": []
}