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.
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BibTeX
@article{sonmez2026vaccine,
title = {{Vaccine hesitancy in Türkiye: sociodemographic, health-related, and attitudinal correlates in the 2024 Turkish general social survey}},
author = {Ömer Faruk Sönmez},
journal = {BMC Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1186/s12889-026-29795-8},
url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-026-29795-8},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Vaccine hesitancy in Türkiye: sociodemographic, health-related, and attitudinal correlates in the 2024 Turkish general social survey
AU - Ömer Faruk Sönmez
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - BMC Public Health
DO - 10.1186/s12889-026-29795-8
UR - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12889-026-29795-8
AB - 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.
SN - 1471-2458
ER -