Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHILDBIRTH, cilt.16, sa.1, ss.12-21, 2026 (ESCI, Scopus)
BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened pregnant women's fears regarding fetal well-being, contributing to varying levels of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance or hesitancy. Previous research highlighted the influential role of partners in pregnant women's decisions about medications and vaccinations. This study aims to investigate the extent to which fear of COVID-19 and perceived partner attitudes predict pregnant women's willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.METHODS: Seventy-nine pregnant women participated in this cross-sectional survey study, and they completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and Attitudes Towards the COVID-19 Vaccine Scale and a demographic information form. Moderation analysis was conducted following the Baron and Kenny approach.RESULTS: Findings indicated that fear of COVID-19 alone was not associated with vaccine attitudes of pregnant women. However, perceived partner attitudes had a significant influence on women's own attitudes. Moreover, the interaction between fear of COVID-19 and perceived partner attitudes approached marginal significance in predicting pregnant women's vaccine attitudes. Specifically, pregnant women with a higher fear of COVID-19 reported more positive attitudes if they perceived their partners as supportive of vaccination. Conversely, those who perceived their partner as unsupportive reported negative vaccine attitudes, regardless of their level of fear of COVID-19.CONCLUSION: This study is the first to investigate the combined effects of COVID-19-related fear and perceived partner attitudes on vaccine acceptance among pregnant women. The findings underscore the importance of partner-inclusive education, counseling, and communication strategies in the decision-making process during pregnancy as well as interventions addressing both emotional and informational needs. Such approaches may provide more informed vaccine attitudes among pregnant women.