Santibañez Scott, Allen Elizabeth M, Hairston Symone, Santibanez Tammy A, Jeon Seonghye, Hayman Kimberly
Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
US Public Health Service, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Public Health Rep. 2024 May-Jun;139(3):333-341. doi: 10.1177/00333549231186578. Epub 2023 Aug 11.
During public health emergencies, people at risk of exposure or illness will likely be presented with extensive information about an unfamiliar topic and be asked to make decisions quickly. In difficult situations, people often turn to trusted leaders, including from their local faith-based congregation (FBC). We examined how people receive, interpret, and respond to health communication information from clergy and lay leaders from their local FBC during public health emergencies.
We analyzed responses to 10 questions from a 2021 nationally representative US survey. Porter Novelli designed the survey and administered it to 4510 US adults aged ≥18 years, of whom 3553 people completed the survey. We examined sociodemographic characteristics, trust of health information from clergy and lay leaders, and willingness to engage in health behaviors recommended by their FBC and receive health services through their local FBC. All estimates were weighted. We conducted bivariate analysis with contrast tests for proportions at α = .05.
More than half of adults (55.4%), including 65.8% of non-Hispanic Black and 58.8% of Hispanic or Latino adults, were members of an FBC. Among FBC members, a higher percentage of Hispanic or Latino (29.1%) and non-Hispanic Black (36.3%) adults than non-Hispanic White adults (20.4%) reported trust in their FBC for health information ( < .05). This trust translated into greater intent to engage in health behaviors promoted by the local FBC among non-Hispanic Black respondents (31.4%) compared with non-Hispanic White respondents (22.5%) ( < .05).
Public health officials can consider ways to better understand how the cultures and practices of populations being served influence people's health perceptions and behaviors. Collaboration between federal, state, and local public health officials and FBCs can promote health equity during public health emergencies.
在突发公共卫生事件期间，面临接触风险或患病风险的人群可能会收到大量关于一个陌生主题的信息，并被要求迅速做出决策。在困难情况下，人们往往会向值得信赖的领导者寻求帮助，包括当地基于信仰的宗教团体（FBC）的领导者。我们研究了在突发公共卫生事件期间，人们如何接收、解读以及回应来自当地FBC的神职人员和普通信徒领袖的健康传播信息。
我们分析了2021年一项具有全国代表性的美国调查中10个问题的回答。波特诺维利公司设计了这项调查，并对4510名年龄在18岁及以上的美国成年人进行了调查，其中3553人完成了调查。我们研究了社会人口学特征、对神职人员和普通信徒领袖提供的健康信息的信任度，以及参与当地FBC推荐的健康行为并通过当地FBC接受健康服务的意愿。所有估计值均经过加权处理。我们进行了双变量分析，并在α = 0.05的水平下进行了比例对比检验。
超过一半的成年人（55.4%），包括65.8%的非西班牙裔黑人成年人和58.8%的西班牙裔或拉丁裔成年人，是FBC的成员。在FBC成员中，报告信任FBC提供健康信息的西班牙裔或拉丁裔成年人（29.1%）和非西班牙裔黑人成年人（36.3%）的比例高于非西班牙裔白人成年人（20.4%）（P < 0.05）。与非西班牙裔白人受访者（22.5%）相比，这种信任转化为非西班牙裔黑人受访者（31.4%）更愿意参与当地FBC倡导的健康行为（P < 0.05）。
公共卫生官员可以考虑采取措施，更好地了解所服务人群的文化和习俗如何影响人们的健康认知和行为。联邦、州和地方公共卫生官员与FBC之间的合作可以在突发公共卫生事件期间促进健康公平。
