Engaging African American Pastors in COVID-19 Research During a Pandemic: Lessons Learned

COVID-19 risk communication gaps, needs, and strategies related to pandemic preparedness plans among vulnerable, Black American subgroups: A qualitative study

OBJECTIVE

Improving current and future risk communication plans is critical to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic and begin to prepare for future pandemics. Minority groups, particularly African Americans, have been limited in engagement to prepare these plans which has been demonstrated to be disadvantageous. We report findings from a qualitative study that describes gaps, needs, and strategies to improve communication among vulnerable, Black American subgroups during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Sixty-two Black Americans in uniquely, vulnerable subgroups participated in qualitative, semi-structured interviews from May to September 2020. Thematic analyses were used to identify themes.

RESULTS

Participants were 16 essential workers, 16 parents, 15 young adults, and 15 individuals with underlying medical conditions. Emerging themes were: (1) Poor communication and miscommunication fueled fear and confusion; (2) Information sources and channels: How do I choose one?; (3) Communication needs were simple yet complex; (4) All information sources are not trusted information sources; (5) Preferred yet trusted channels and types of information; and (6) Dissemination of COVID Research: Why and How. Subgroups varied in information sources and processes for choosing the source, communication needs, and channels and types of information needed. They shared why they did and did not trust certain sources along with the importance of COVID research dissemination to promote informed decision-making throughout the pandemic.

DISCUSSION

This study found that Black American subgroups had diverse, yet trusted and non-trusted messages, messengers, and strategies for communication and wanted research results disseminated. We describe multi-level stakeholders and strategies to help improve risk communication for pandemics, and potentially preparedness and health outcomes.

Mental Health Awareness and Counseling Practice of Jamaican Clergy: An Exploratory Study

Clergy play a vital role in mental health care in Jamaica but little is known about their mental health awareness and practices. Thirty five Anglican and Baptist clergy were compared to 24 helping professionals and 67 community members using purposive sampling. Clergy's awareness exists with spiritualized beliefs about the etiology of mental illness as well as with effective and unethical counseling practices. Findings indicate the need for more training in mental health sensitization and practice.

Perspectives of Latinx Individuals Who Were Unvaccinated And Hospitalized for COVID-19: A Qualitative Study

Importance

Latinx individuals in the United States have lower COVID-19 vaccination rates and higher rates of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths than non-Latinx White individuals. Little is known about the perspectives of Latinx adults who had not received the COVID-19 vaccination and were hospitalized for COVID-19.

Objective

To describe the perspectives of Latinx individuals who were unvaccinated and subsequently hospitalized for COVID-19.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This qualitative study was conducted using semistructured phone interviews with 25 Latinx adults who were unvaccinated and survived a COVID-19 hospitalization in a public safety net hospital in Colorado from February to November 2021. Interviews were audio recorded, and transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Themes and subthemes of perspectives on vaccination.

Results

Among 25 adults (14 [56.0%] women, 11 [44.0%] men; mean [SD] age, 51 [15] years) who participated, all participants self-identified as Latino, Latina, or Latinx or Hispanic. There were 11 individuals who relied on emergency Medicaid (hospital coverage for Denver residents who are undocumented), while 10 individuals (40.0%) were essential workers and 13 individuals (52.0%) were unemployed. In interviews, 3 themes (with subthemes) were identified: factors associated with vaccination after hospitalization (subthemes: fear of death, avoiding hospitalization and reinfection, convinced COVID-19 is real, and responded to pressure from others), concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine (subthemes: experimental status and short timeline for production, contents of vaccine unknown or concerning, vaccine considered ineffective, worrisome immediate and long-term adverse effects, mixed and conflicting information, and government aimed to control or mark population through vaccination), and opportunities to improve vaccine uptake (subthemes; sharing personal experiences through social media, testimonials about minimal vaccine adverse effects, connecting with friends and family about the hospitalization experience, making the vaccine more accessible, and connecting with trusted sources of information).

Conclusions and Relevance

This study found that Latinx individuals who were unvaccinated and subsequently hospitalized for COVID-19 were motivated to engage in advocacy to encourage vaccination in their communities. These findings suggest that supporting patient advocacy after hospital discharge and continued efforts to create low-barrier, patient-informed public health strategies may be associated with increased vaccine uptake in Latinx communities.

The Perceptions and Lived Experiences of African-American Pastors at the Onslaught of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mississippi

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore perceptions and lived experiences of African-American pastors addressing the onslaught of COVID-19 with their congregation. Thirty-seven pastors representing various denominations from across Mississippi participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. From the data, five themes emerged including (1) Pastors' relentlessness, (2) Pastors' adoption of new technology, (3) Maximized social capital, (4) Unintended consequences resulting from COVID-19, and (5) Unintended benefits resulting from COVID-19.