Aguilar-Palma Sandy K, McCoy Thomas P, Mann-Jackson Lilli, Alonzo Jorge, Jibriel Mohammed Sheikh Eldin, Johnson Dorcas Mabiala, Locklear Tony, Tanner Amanda E, Hall Mark A, Bertoni Alain G, Sucaldito Ana D, Russell Laurie P, Rhodes Scott D
Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America.
School of Nursing, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2025 Jan 23;20(1):e0317794. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0317794. eCollection 2025.
Latine populations in the United States continue to be disproportionately affected by COVID-19 with high rates of infection and mortality. Our community-based participatory research partnership examined factors associated with COVID-19 testing and vaccination within a particularly hidden, underserved, and vulnerable population: Spanish-speaking Latines.
In 2023, native Spanish-speaking Latine interviewers conducted phone-based structured individual assessments with 180 Spanish-speaking, predominantly immigrant Latines across North Carolina. We used univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses to examine associations between participant characteristics and COVID-19 testing and vaccination.
Participant mean age was 41.7 (SD = 13), and 77.2% of the sample reported being cisgender women. Most participants reported immigrating from Latin American countries (89.9%), being uninsured (66.1%), and lacking US immigration documentation (51.1%). While most reported ever being COVID-19 tested (83.3%) and ever being vaccinated against COVID-19 (84.4%), only 24% were up to date with vaccination. Nearly half of the sample reported one or more barriers to COVID-19 testing, and over one-quarter reported one or more barriers to COVID-19 vaccination. Higher educational attainment was significantly associated with ever being tested (P = .031). Fewer concerns about the vaccine, including fewer worries about side effects and having more confidence in vaccine effectiveness and safety, was associated with ever being vaccinated (P < .001).
Spanish-speaking Latines face barriers to getting tested and vaccinated against COVID-19. Although ever testing and ever vaccination rates were high, being up to date with recommended vaccinations was low. Educational attainment and concerns about the vaccine were associated with COVID-19 testing and vaccination, respectively. Our findings suggest the need for culturally congruent strategies to address the challenges facing Spanish-speaking Latines in the United States.
美国的拉丁裔人群仍然受到新冠疫情的严重影响，感染率和死亡率居高不下。我们基于社区的参与式研究伙伴关系，研究了在一个特别隐蔽、服务不足且易受影响的人群：讲西班牙语的拉丁裔中，与新冠病毒检测和疫苗接种相关的因素。
2023年，以西班牙语为母语的拉丁裔访谈员对北卡罗来纳州180名讲西班牙语、主要为移民的拉丁裔进行了基于电话的结构化个人评估。我们使用单变量和多变量逻辑回归分析来研究参与者特征与新冠病毒检测和疫苗接种之间的关联。
参与者的平均年龄为41.7岁（标准差=13），77.2%的样本报告为顺性别女性。大多数参与者报告称从拉丁美洲国家移民而来（89.9%），未参保（66.1%），且缺乏美国移民文件（51.1%）。虽然大多数人报告曾接受过新冠病毒检测（83.3%）和曾接种过新冠疫苗（84.4%），但只有24%的人接种疫苗是最新的。近一半的样本报告了一个或多个新冠病毒检测的障碍，超过四分之一的人报告了一个或多个新冠疫苗接种的障碍。受教育程度较高与曾接受检测显著相关（P=0.031）。对疫苗的担忧较少，包括对副作用的担忧较少以及对疫苗有效性和安全性更有信心，与曾接种疫苗相关（P<0.001）。
讲西班牙语的拉丁裔在进行新冠病毒检测和接种疫苗方面面临障碍。尽管曾检测和曾接种疫苗的比例较高，但按照建议接种疫苗的比例较低。受教育程度和对疫苗的担忧分别与新冠病毒检测和疫苗接种相关。我们的研究结果表明，需要采取文化上合适的策略来应对美国讲西班牙语的拉丁裔所面临的挑战。
