Program Reach, Satisfaction and Lessons Learned from a Community-based COVID-19 Health Literacy Program
Abstract
Background: The African American (AA) community in rural Southwest Georgia experienced a disproportionate impact of COVID-19, prompting a call to increase access to health services, promote health literacy related to COVID-19, and decrease vaccine hesitancy. In June 2022, the City of Albany received a federal grant from the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health (Grant Number 1 CPIMP211229) to reduce COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and increase COVID-19 health literacy through a partnership with community-based organizations.
Methods: Primary data on program satisfaction and outcomes, such as self-reported risk perception, vaccine hesitancy, and willingness to vaccinate were collected from 2058 participants from the program site between October 2022 and July 2023. The process evaluation tracks participants reached across several community-based programs. The analysis strategy is a programmatic assessment of reach and descriptive analysis of program satisfaction and program participants’ vaccine attitudes, willingness to vaccinate, and acceptance of vaccination.
Results: There were 328 community events and activities hosted, reaching over 14861 participants directly. At least 2377 individuals were vaccinated against COVID-19 at the events. 94.8% of the surveyed participants were AAs. Overall program satisfaction [BT1] was over 93%. Medical barriers and vaccine myths were identified as the most common barriers to vaccination (40-45%). The most likely strategy for vaccine acceptance among the unvaccinated was additional information on the COVID-19 vaccine (80% or above).
Conclusion: The findings from this project will add to the evidence on the reach and feedback of a community-based health literacy program and provide findings for increasing vaccination among the AA community.
Keywords
Evaluation, COVID-19, Community-based program, Vaccine-hesitancy
Program Reach, Satisfaction and Lessons Learned from a Community-based COVID-19 Health Literacy Program
Background: The African American (AA) community in rural Southwest Georgia experienced a disproportionate impact of COVID-19, prompting a call to increase access to health services, promote health literacy related to COVID-19, and decrease vaccine hesitancy. In June 2022, the City of Albany received a federal grant from the Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health (Grant Number 1 CPIMP211229) to reduce COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and increase COVID-19 health literacy through a partnership with community-based organizations.
Methods: Primary data on program satisfaction and outcomes, such as self-reported risk perception, vaccine hesitancy, and willingness to vaccinate were collected from 2058 participants from the program site between October 2022 and July 2023. The process evaluation tracks participants reached across several community-based programs. The analysis strategy is a programmatic assessment of reach and descriptive analysis of program satisfaction and program participants’ vaccine attitudes, willingness to vaccinate, and acceptance of vaccination.
Results: There were 328 community events and activities hosted, reaching over 14861 participants directly. At least 2377 individuals were vaccinated against COVID-19 at the events. 94.8% of the surveyed participants were AAs. Overall program satisfaction [BT1] was over 93%. Medical barriers and vaccine myths were identified as the most common barriers to vaccination (40-45%). The most likely strategy for vaccine acceptance among the unvaccinated was additional information on the COVID-19 vaccine (80% or above).
Conclusion: The findings from this project will add to the evidence on the reach and feedback of a community-based health literacy program and provide findings for increasing vaccination among the AA community.
