Browsing by Author "Njozela, Lindokuhle"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Open Access
    Assessing education as a determinant of trust in South Africa
    (2024) Sigauke, Simphiwe Ntombizodwa; Njozela, Lindokuhle
    It has been argued that one of the key benefits of raising the levels of education in a nation is the enhancement of trust. Trust has been found to be a critical driver of economic development and growth and is thus of particular value to South Africa. There has been rising literature, however, showing the ineffectiveness of education as a policy tool to increase trust levels. At times the impact of education has even been found to impair trust within a society. This present study sought to expand the research interrogating education as a determinant of interpersonal trust in South Africa by assessing the impact of education on various forms of trust. In this thesis, education as a determinant of trust in South Africa was assessed using the National Income Dynamics Wave 5 Cross-Sectional data set. As a primary focus, an analysis was undertaken to assess the relationship between education and trust by applying probit regression analysis in which the years of basic education obtained together with control variables was regressed against five variables of trust. In a secondary analysis, the household spillover effects of education on trust were also assessed. The results of the study suggest that an additional year of basic education increases the likelihood of trusting in respect of only two forms of trust: trust of people that an individual knows and trust of one's own race group. Basic education was found to be an insignificant determinant of the other three forms of trust. The result for trust of one's own race group was further confirmed in the spillovers analysis. Here, the results suggested that education household spillovers that impact trust are present between the household head and the other members of the household. The spillover effects of education here were found to enhance in-group trust in terms of one's own race group on the one hand and to reduce out-group trust in terms of other race groups on the other hand. Notably, however, the impact of basic education on trust observed in both the primary and secondary analysis was quite minimal. Evidence from this study therefore supports the sentiment expressed in the literature that the positive outcomes of education on trust are most certainly not universal. Rather, the nature of this relationship is variable as a consequence of a number of contextual dynamics within the society in question.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Correlates of COVID-19 vaccination intentions and opinions about mandates among four groups of adults in South Africa with distinct vaccine intentions: evidence from a large national survey
    (BioMed Central, 2023-09-11) Eyal, Katherine; Njozela, Lindokuhle; Köhler, Timothy; Ingle, Kim; Brophy, Timothy; Buttenheim, Alison; Maughan-Brown, Brendan
    Abstract Introduction Despite a high number of recorded COVID-19 infections and deaths in South Africa, COVID-19 vaccine coverage remained low in March 2022, ten months into the national vaccine roll-out. This study provides evidence on the correlates of vaccine intentions, attitudes towards vaccination and opinions about mandates. Methods We used data from the second COVID-19 Vaccine Survey (CVACS), a telephone survey conducted February-March 2022 among 3,608 South African adults who self-reported not being vaccinated against COVID-19. The survey instrument was designed in consultation with government, policymakers, and civil society; and segmented the sample into four distinct groups with different vaccine intentions (synonymous with vaccine hesitancy levels). Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used to examine the sociodemographic characteristics, attitudes and behaviours associated with the different vaccination intentions groups. Thematic coding of responses to open-ended questions elicited insights on reasons for not being vaccinated and attitudes towards mandates. Results Intentions to get vaccinated were greater among individuals with lower socio-economic status (Mann–Whitney Z = -11.3, p < 0.001); those believing the vaccine protects against death (Kruskal–Wallis Χ2 = 494, p < 0.001); and those who perceived themselves at risk of COVID-19-related illness (Χ2 = 126, p < 0.01). Vaccine intentions were lower among individuals who believed that the vaccine causes death (Χ2 = 163, p < 0.001); believed that the vaccine is unsafe for the babies of pregnant/breastfeeding mothers, or the chronically ill (Χ2 = 123, p < 0.01); those not trusting government health information about COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccine (Kendall’s τ = -0.41, p < 0.01); and those in opposition to mandates (τ = 0.35, p < 0.001). Only 25% supported mandates, despite 48% thinking mandates would work well, with 54% citing individual rights as their main reason for mandate opposition. Conclusion The profile of individuals not vaccinated against COVID-19 as of March 2022 varied markedly by self-reported vaccination intentions, underscoring the importance of tailored demand-creation efforts. This paper highlights several factors which differ significantly across these groups. These findings could inform the design of future vaccination campaigns, potentially increasing their likelihood of success. This is an important policy objective given widespread vaccine hesitancy, and further work is required on this topic. Mandates remain an option to increase coverage but need to be carefully considered given extensive opposition.