Age, Sex, and Race Differences in College Students’ COVID-19 Perceptions, Behaviors, Policy Attitudes, and Vaccination Decision
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47779/ajhs.2025.751Keywords:
COVID-19, university students, attitudes, health behaviors, vaccinationAbstract
Background: Understanding college students’ attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors related to the COVID-19 pandemic is important for public health and health promotion efforts on university campuses, as well as to inform decisions and practices of administrators. The purpose of this study was to extend existing research by investigating some COVID-related variables that have yet to be clearly studied, and by examining how student responses varied by age, sex, and race. Methods: University students (N=2764) attending five universities in Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, and Virginia completed an online anonymous survey between October and December, 2021. Survey items addressed personal COVID-19 history, perceptions of severity and susceptibility, engagement in COVID-19 preventing behaviors, COVID-19 vaccination status, and attitudes about COVID-related university policies. Results: More than half of students (63.1%) had not contracted COVID-19 at the time of data collection, but most (96.4%) knew someone who had. Over two-thirds of the sample (67.9%) had been vaccinated at the time of survey completion. Survey responses varied significantly by gender, age, and race/ethnicity, with female, older, and African American students expressing greater concern, more often engaging in COVID-preventing behaviors, getting vaccinated against the virus, and supporting college policies regarding mandated face masks and COVID-19 vaccination. Conclusion: This study highlights significant variations in college students’ attitudes and behaviors towards COVID-19, influenced by demographic factors such as age, sex, and race
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