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Primary Submission Category: Public Health Communication and Trust
Health Equity Ain’t Equal You Know
Authors: Cecily Gray, Sirry Alang, Tenaesha Washington, Mary Ann Bodine Al-Shariff,
Presenting Author: Cecily Gray*
The current research sought to understand how policies and practices contribute to institutional distrust and medical mistrust in the context of a recent emergency public health emergency–COVID-19. THis study explores perceptions of COVID-19 vaccination efforts through the lens of African American community health workers (CHWs) in HHS Region 4 of the southeast. In exploring health interventions, CHWs are an important group to learn from. They are trusted among communities frontline public health professionals serving as intermediaries between the healthcare system and marginalized communities. Due to their unique positionality as members of communities they serve, CHWs have the power provide meaningful, context-specific insight around intervention efforts in their communities. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to understand CHWs discuss COVID-19 vaccination at the Systemic/Societal-Level 4 of Harper-Browne’s model of ecology, through the lens of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Results: Study findings revealed CHWs provided compelling insight into issues that lie beneath distrust through their discussion of COVID-19 and vaccination efforts. Main study findings revealed the following three major themes: 1) Government Response; 2) Political Agendas; and 3) The Healthcare System.