¿Por Qué Esperar?: Examining COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Hispanic Gender Roles in Eastern North Carolina

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted members of different communities in the United States at varying rates. Despite displaying strong adherence to safety behavior guidelines, the Hispanic-American community was affected by COVID-19 at a disproportionately high rate. The present study examined a traditional gender role for Hispanic women, marianismo, and its impact on the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 safety guideline adherence among Hispanic women living in eastern North Carolina. Hispanic female participants over the age of eighteen who reside in eastern North Carolina (N=14) completed a three-part online survey, one section being the Marianismo Beliefs Scale (MBS), which measures adherence to marianismo. Although none of the results were statistically significant, there were notable differences in marianismo adherence among different demographic groups.