April 4-6, 2024 • Hyatt Regency • Lexington, KY
Innovations in Health Communication
Innovations in Health Communication
Abstract: Using PEN-3 to Evaluate the Effectiveness of the CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Toolkit for Community-Based Organizations on the Promotion of Clinical Trials for African Americans
Racial health disparities have only been exacerbated since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. From the disproportionate impact of the virus on African Americans to the lack of pointed efforts to change COVID-19 vaccine perception and intake — the detrimental effect of systemic racism in medicine has only further harmed Black bodies (Franz et al., 2022; Garcia, 2021; Gravlee, 2020). While researchers have documented the shortcomings of COVID-19 prevention strategies specifically targeted at marginalized groups (Akintobi, 2020; Hopper et al., 2020; Yancy, 2020), the extent of the pandemic has also deepened the issue of lack of diverse participants in clinical trials (Bibbins-Domingo et al., 2022; Flores et al., 2021; Lackland et al., 2020).
Despite African Americans being unknowingly used to develop lifesaving vaccines, there remains a widespread underrepresentation of Black people in vaccine research (Xiao et al., 2023). Health scholars have exhaustively relayed the need for diversity and inclusion in clinical trials of the vaccine (Clark et al., 2019; Kelsey et al., 2022; Woodcock et al., 2021), as a matter of ethics and morality and to boost efficacy. Thus, this study aims to identify and assess one of the contributing factors to this lack of representation: COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial communication.
In various studies on African Americans and vaccine intake, numerous scholars found that things like conspiracy theories, misinformation, negative news coverage and limited information regarding vaccine development headed the growing consensus among African Americans that the vaccine should not be trusted (Huang & Green, 2022; Moon et al., 2023; McClenny, et al., 2022; Sharma et al., 2021; Woko et al., 2020). In light of the growing apprehension there has been a concerted effort by government agencies and health communicators to increase the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine among the Black community.
Government agencies and nonprofit health organizations have specifically targeted campaigns to provide African Americans with pertinent health information (Dada et al., 2022; Powell, 2022) and consequently get African Americans to sign up for clinical trials (Flores et al.; 2021; Hunt et al., 2022). There is also a strong call for government-run agencies to produce and promote inclusive health materials that serve the diverse population within the U.S. (Baur & Prue, 2014; Johnson et al., 2006).
This chapter will look at the CDC’s “COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Toolkit for Community-Based Organizations: Getting Started” resource packet to evaluate: what types of marketing/communication materials are provided, what visual and verbal communication is provided, and if and what are the materials that specifically advocate for signing up for clinical trials. This study aims to evaluate how effective items in this toolkit are at addressing African Americans at the intersections of race, racist medicine, and medical skepticism. Using the Critical Race Theory (CRT) and PEN-3 Cultural Model (PEN-3) as our guiding framework)— both of which emphasize the need for culture to be embedded in health promotion and practice (Airhihenbuwa, 1995; Delgado & Stefancic, 2017)— this study will explore the concerns raised by African Americans, regarding efficacy and the need for culturally attuned COVID-19 information.
Despite African Americans being unknowingly used to develop lifesaving vaccines, there remains a widespread underrepresentation of Black people in vaccine research (Xiao et al., 2023). Health scholars have exhaustively relayed the need for diversity and inclusion in clinical trials of the vaccine (Clark et al., 2019; Kelsey et al., 2022; Woodcock et al., 2021), as a matter of ethics and morality and to boost efficacy. Thus, this study aims to identify and assess one of the contributing factors to this lack of representation: COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial communication.
In various studies on African Americans and vaccine intake, numerous scholars found that things like conspiracy theories, misinformation, negative news coverage and limited information regarding vaccine development headed the growing consensus among African Americans that the vaccine should not be trusted (Huang & Green, 2022; Moon et al., 2023; McClenny, et al., 2022; Sharma et al., 2021; Woko et al., 2020). In light of the growing apprehension there has been a concerted effort by government agencies and health communicators to increase the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine among the Black community.
Government agencies and nonprofit health organizations have specifically targeted campaigns to provide African Americans with pertinent health information (Dada et al., 2022; Powell, 2022) and consequently get African Americans to sign up for clinical trials (Flores et al.; 2021; Hunt et al., 2022). There is also a strong call for government-run agencies to produce and promote inclusive health materials that serve the diverse population within the U.S. (Baur & Prue, 2014; Johnson et al., 2006).
This chapter will look at the CDC’s “COVID-19 Vaccine Communication Toolkit for Community-Based Organizations: Getting Started” resource packet to evaluate: what types of marketing/communication materials are provided, what visual and verbal communication is provided, and if and what are the materials that specifically advocate for signing up for clinical trials. This study aims to evaluate how effective items in this toolkit are at addressing African Americans at the intersections of race, racist medicine, and medical skepticism. Using the Critical Race Theory (CRT) and PEN-3 Cultural Model (PEN-3) as our guiding framework)— both of which emphasize the need for culture to be embedded in health promotion and practice (Airhihenbuwa, 1995; Delgado & Stefancic, 2017)— this study will explore the concerns raised by African Americans, regarding efficacy and the need for culturally attuned COVID-19 information.