Department of Health Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Community & Health Science, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.
J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2023 Feb;10(1):462-474. doi: 10.1007/s40615-022-01236-3. Epub 2022 Feb 19.
African Americans (AAs) are disproportionately affected by structural and social determinants of health, resulting in greater risks of exposure to and deaths from COVID-19. Structural and social determinants of health feed vaccine hesitancy and worsen health disparities.
The present study aims to explore vaccine attitudes and intentions among program participants, understand the role of an African American faith-based wellness program in COVID-19 awareness and vaccine uptake, and solicit potential solutions for this deep-rooted public health problem.
Data were collected through 21 in-depth interviews among individuals involved within a community-based wellness program. Sixteen phone and five in-person interviews were conducted with church leaders, lifestyle coaches, and program participants. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and inductively and thematically analyzed by three researchers.
Live Well by Faith (LWBF) acted as a trusted information source for COVID-19 resources for the AA community. Services provided by Live Well by Faith included enrolling community members for vaccines, negotiating vaccine provision to and facilitating the establishment of vaccine clinics at AA churches, and connecting community members to healthcare providers. Despite the role Live Well by Faith played, VH was a significant concern due, in part, to historical mistrust of government and pharmaceutical companies conducting unethical healthcare research among Black populations. Other factors included uncertainty about vaccination (vaccines' safety, efficacy, and necessity), social media misinformation, and political affiliation. Participants expressed the need for government to commit resources towards addressing historical factors and building trust with minority populations.
Resource targeting programs such as Live Well by Faith that engage faith and community leaders in co-designed shared and culturally grounded interventions can help restore and strengthen trust in vaccines and governments and reduce vaccine hesitancy.
非裔美国人（AAs）受到健康结构和社会决定因素的不成比例影响，导致他们面临更大的 COVID-19 暴露和死亡风险。健康结构和社会决定因素助长了疫苗犹豫情绪，并加剧了健康差距。
本研究旨在探索项目参与者的疫苗态度和意愿，了解基于非裔美国人信仰的健康计划在 COVID-19 意识和疫苗接种方面的作用，并为这一根深蒂固的公共卫生问题寻求潜在解决方案。
通过对参与社区健康计划的个人进行的 21 次深入访谈收集数据。对教会领袖、生活方式教练和项目参与者进行了 16 次电话访谈和 5 次面对面访谈。所有访谈都进行了录音，逐字记录，并由三名研究人员进行归纳和主题分析。
信仰健康生活（LWBF）是 A 群体获取 COVID-19 资源的可信信息来源。信仰健康生活提供的服务包括为社区成员接种疫苗、协商疫苗供应并为 A 教会设立疫苗诊所提供便利，以及将社区成员与医疗保健提供者联系起来。尽管信仰健康生活发挥了作用，但 VH 是一个重大问题，部分原因是历史上对政府和制药公司在黑人群体中进行不道德医疗研究的不信任。其他因素包括对疫苗接种的不确定性（疫苗的安全性、有效性和必要性）、社交媒体上的错误信息以及政治派别。参与者表示，政府需要投入资源解决历史因素，与少数民族建立信任。
针对资源的计划，如信仰健康生活，使信仰和社区领袖参与共同设计的共享和文化上根植的干预措施，可以帮助恢复和加强对疫苗和政府的信任，减少疫苗犹豫。
