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Willis DE, Andersen JA, Montgomery BEE, Selig JP, Shah SK, Zaller N, Bryant-Moore K, Scott AJ, Williams M, McElfish PA. COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Experiences of Discrimination Among Black Adults. J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 2022; 10:1025-1034. [PMID: 35391714 PMCID: PMC8989097 DOI: 10.1007/s40615-022-01290-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Early in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Black adults consistently reported more hesitancy than White adults, but few studies have examined variation in hesitancy among Black adults or its associations with racial discrimination. Data were collected from Black Arkansas residents age 18 and older (n = 350) between July 12th and July 30th, 2021, as part of a larger survey of Arkansans (N = 1500). Participants were recruited through random digit dialing of both landline and cell phones, with oversampling of Black and Hispanic residents. Respondents reported COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, sociodemographic information, influenza vaccination history, pandemic-related experiences, and experiences of racial discrimination. Almost half (48.9%) of Black adults in Arkansas were not hesitant towards COVID-19 vaccines, while the remainder reported some level of hesitancy. Nearly a quarter were very hesitant (22.4%), while fewer reported being somewhat (14.0%) and a little (14.7%) hesitant. Using an ordered logistic regression with partial proportional odds, we find odds of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy decreased as age and influenza vaccination increased. Odds of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy were 1.70 times greater for Black adults who experienced the death of a close friend/family member due to COVID-19 and 2.61 times greater for individuals reporting discrimination with police or in the courts. Within-group analysis revealed nearly half of Black adults did not report any COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and heterogeneity among those who were hesitant. Findings suggest there may be an important link between racial discrimination in the criminal justice system and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Black adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Don E Willis
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, 1125 N. College Ave, Fayetteville, AR, 72703, USA
| | - Jennifer A Andersen
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, 1125 N. College Ave, Fayetteville, AR, 72703, USA
| | - Brooke E E Montgomery
- Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham St, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - James P Selig
- Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, 1125 N. College Ave, Fayetteville, AR, 72703, USA
| | - Sumit K Shah
- Office of Community Health and Research, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, 1125 N. College Ave, Fayetteville, AR, 72703, USA
| | - Nickolas Zaller
- Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham St, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Keneshia Bryant-Moore
- Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham St, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Aaron J Scott
- Office of Community Health and Research, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, 1125 N. College Ave, Fayetteville, AR, 72703, USA
| | - Mark Williams
- Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham St, Little Rock, AR, 72205, USA
| | - Pearl A McElfish
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, 1125 N. College Ave, Fayetteville, AR, 72703, USA.
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