Ritchwood Tiarney D, Burton Kelsey, Wynn Mysha
Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States of America.
Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2025 Sep 3;20(9):e0330513. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0330513. eCollection 2025.
In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, African Americans in rural communities faced disproportionate rates of hospitalizations and deaths. The emergence of the omicron variant further exacerbated these disparities, with African American adults approximately four times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 compared to their White counterparts. To curb the transmission of the virus, public health professionals advocated COVID-19 mitigation strategies, including testing. However, barriers such as limited testing sites, long wait times, and privacy concerns hindered testing accessibility in rural areas. This study characterizes the early perceptions and acceptability of COVID-19 self-testing among African Americans in eastern North Carolina.
We conducted semi-structured, small group discussions in November 2021 with participants representing three age groups (youth, adults, and older adults) from Eastern North Carolina. Data were analyzed thematically using deductive and inductive approaches.
Findings indicate that, while self-testing was a novel concept for many participants, there was a high acceptability of COVID-19 self-testing. Barriers included low self-efficacy, concerns about test accuracy, and perceived costs. Participants emphasized the convenience and comfort of self-testing, recommending clear instructions, video demonstrations, and a toll-free number for help.
These insights offer valuable guidance for improving emergency testing strategies and protocols in response to future viral outbreaks and pandemic threats. Clear, user-friendly instructions and video demonstrations can enhance the accessibility of self-testing kits. Moreover, addressing concerns related to cost and test accuracy is crucial for widespread adoption. Public health campaigns should prioritize affordability, user-friendliness, and community-specific needs to foster resilience and equity in healthcare responses.
在新冠疫情的第一年，农村社区的非裔美国人面临着不成比例的住院率和死亡率。奥密克戎变异株的出现进一步加剧了这些差距，与白人相比，非裔美国成年人因感染新冠病毒住院的可能性大约高出四倍。为了遏制病毒传播，公共卫生专业人员倡导采取包括检测在内的新冠疫情缓解策略。然而，检测点有限、等待时间长以及隐私担忧等障碍阻碍了农村地区的检测可及性。本研究描述了北卡罗来纳州东部非裔美国人对新冠病毒自我检测的早期认知和接受程度。
2021年11月，我们与代表北卡罗来纳州东部三个年龄组（青年、成年人和老年人）的参与者进行了半结构化的小组讨论。使用演绎和归纳方法对数据进行了主题分析。
研究结果表明，虽然自我检测对许多参与者来说是一个新概念，但新冠病毒自我检测的接受度很高。障碍包括自我效能感低、对检测准确性的担忧以及感知到的成本。参与者强调了自我检测的便利性和舒适度，建议提供清晰的说明、视频演示以及免费求助电话。
这些见解为改进应对未来病毒爆发和大流行威胁的应急检测策略和方案提供了宝贵指导。清晰、用户友好的说明和视频演示可以提高自我检测试剂盒的可及性。此外，解决与成本和检测准确性相关的担忧对于广泛采用至关重要。公共卫生运动应优先考虑可承受性、用户友好性和社区特定需求，以增强医疗应对中的恢复力和公平性。
