Date on Paper
8-2021
Document Type
Doctoral Paper
Degree Name
D.N.P.
Department
Nursing
Committee Chair
Robertson, Sara
Committee Member
Galloway, Lynette
Author's Keywords
Faith-based virtual town hall; vaccine hesitancy; health belief model; social ecological model; SWOT analysis; COVID-19 pandemic
Abstract
Background: Vaccines are among the most important public health interventions of the 20th century saving millions of lives each year. Notwithstanding, the United States has seen a growing resistance to vaccinations since the late 1990s. Vaccine hesitancy (VH) is a delay or decline to accept vaccines, despite the available of safe and effective vaccines (WHO, 2019). Combatting VH in Black communities is especially challenging, complex, and multifaceted due to an elevated sense of medical mistrust from persistent racial discrimination, injustices and medical malfeasance. The current coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) pandemic has further magnified the intersection of this structural racism, the associated social risk factors, and health. Purpose: The purpose of the program evaluation was to determine the success of the Louisville Metro Dept. of Public Health & Wellness (LMDPHW) social media educational event, geared to decrease VH and increase uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine in the Black community. Method: The campaign combined faith-based initiatives with a social media virtual town hall platform. The program evaluation was intended to assess participant experience, and intent to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Results: In lieu of poor post-event survey completion, an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of the educational event was performed instead. Discussion: Using a combined approach, many important topics specific to the Black community were addressed. Using social media, allowed for a greater reach of collective ideas and solutions to be shared in other homogenous minority communities and churches geographically. The SWOT analysis was able to add value and guidance to future community health change initiatives.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Nina, "The Black church, social media, and vaccine hesitancy: a program evaluation of a virtual town hall meeting intended to educate, empower and expedite Covid-19 vaccine uptake intent among Black Americans." (2021). Doctor of Nursing Practice Papers. Paper 99.
Retrieved from https://ir.library.louisville.edu/dnp/99
