Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Category
STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics)
Abstract/Artist Statement
This National Institute of Health (NIH) funded study is conducted through a collaboration between All Nations Health Center, an Urban Indian Health Center in Missoula, MT, and the University of Montana (UM) School of Public and Community Health Sciences. The purpose of this ongoing research project is to Identify causes of COVID-19 vaccine confidence and hesitancy among American Indian and rural adults in Montana.
Although COVID-19 vaccines became available a little over one year ago, vaccine hesitancy is still a main contributor to low vaccine uptake in Montana and the surround regions. This study is unique because most studies on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy have only been completed in larger cities in the US, such as Seattle or Denver. No other studies as of yet have been conducted on this topic in rural Montana.
This study is a mixed method, community-based participatory study. This presentation is based on the qualitative element of the project. Initially, the qualitative research team comprised of University of Montana researchers and graduate students from the Center for Population Health research leveraged community member voices to develop a semi-structured interview tool to address the main aim. Development of the study interview tool was an iterative, and collaborative process that included feedback from the study team and community members in rural and Tribal areas. Community stakeholders assisted researchers in recruiting 20 rural and 20 Indigenous participants for key informant interviews lasting one hour. Participants consisted of 10 vaccinated and 10 unvaccinated individuals and were either living in a rural area in Montana and/or self-identified as American Indian. Participants were asked about their thoughts surrounding the COVID-19 global pandemic, the vaccines, and their confidence and/or concerns about the vaccines.
Analysis began with weekly team evaluation of field notes and overviews of main themes from each interview. Analytic memos were created to document the analysis process. Both deductive and inductive approaches were utilized to analyze the data. Researchers used NVivo Qualitative Data Analysis Software in the analytic process. Data analysis is not finalized, but preliminary results indicate that the political and social pressures surrounding the vaccine are an important factor in vaccine hesitancy and decision making. Participants expressed concern regarding the possible long term health consequences due to the expedited roll out and FDA approvals as well as being unsure of the vaccine ingredients, potential adverse effects in specific populations such as pregnant women, babies, and older adults. Feedback from American Indian community member participants identified feelings of approval about the way their community leaders responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and also noted positive relationships with their primary care providers and the Tribal health system as main motivators for receiving the vaccine.
Mentor Name
James Caringi
Personal Statement
We've been living in a pandemic for nearly two years and have had access to COVID-19 vaccines for over a year, however vaccine uptake in Montana has been low compared to other areas in the US. Until this study, research on the factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy have not been conducted in Montana. We gained valuable, community specific information on contributors to vaccine confidence and hesitancy in our own state. An interesting bit of information that we heard numerous times in interviews was that the information that was trickling down from the president, other politicians, government agencies, and public health entities felt inapplicable to the lives of many Montanans. Being a rural state, and particularly hearing from those in rural and Tribal areas brought attention to the need for community specific and relatable information. The value of this work is that so much research is done in larger, urban areas where the thoughts, feelings, and real-life concerns of the citizens simply do not translate to the lived experiences of those in rural Montana. This study listened to the voices of rural Montanans and seeks to improve health outcomes, specifically vaccine uptake, by involving the very people in every aspect of research from development to analysis. Qualitative research still sometimes has a bad reputation, specifically in academic settings, however this study shows that it is absolutely necessary to utilize qualitative data to answer difficult questions such as the ones we addressed in this study.
Community-engaged research to promote SARS-CoV-2 vaccine uptake in Montana’s American Indian and rural communities.
UC North Ballroom
This National Institute of Health (NIH) funded study is conducted through a collaboration between All Nations Health Center, an Urban Indian Health Center in Missoula, MT, and the University of Montana (UM) School of Public and Community Health Sciences. The purpose of this ongoing research project is to Identify causes of COVID-19 vaccine confidence and hesitancy among American Indian and rural adults in Montana.
Although COVID-19 vaccines became available a little over one year ago, vaccine hesitancy is still a main contributor to low vaccine uptake in Montana and the surround regions. This study is unique because most studies on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy have only been completed in larger cities in the US, such as Seattle or Denver. No other studies as of yet have been conducted on this topic in rural Montana.
This study is a mixed method, community-based participatory study. This presentation is based on the qualitative element of the project. Initially, the qualitative research team comprised of University of Montana researchers and graduate students from the Center for Population Health research leveraged community member voices to develop a semi-structured interview tool to address the main aim. Development of the study interview tool was an iterative, and collaborative process that included feedback from the study team and community members in rural and Tribal areas. Community stakeholders assisted researchers in recruiting 20 rural and 20 Indigenous participants for key informant interviews lasting one hour. Participants consisted of 10 vaccinated and 10 unvaccinated individuals and were either living in a rural area in Montana and/or self-identified as American Indian. Participants were asked about their thoughts surrounding the COVID-19 global pandemic, the vaccines, and their confidence and/or concerns about the vaccines.
Analysis began with weekly team evaluation of field notes and overviews of main themes from each interview. Analytic memos were created to document the analysis process. Both deductive and inductive approaches were utilized to analyze the data. Researchers used NVivo Qualitative Data Analysis Software in the analytic process. Data analysis is not finalized, but preliminary results indicate that the political and social pressures surrounding the vaccine are an important factor in vaccine hesitancy and decision making. Participants expressed concern regarding the possible long term health consequences due to the expedited roll out and FDA approvals as well as being unsure of the vaccine ingredients, potential adverse effects in specific populations such as pregnant women, babies, and older adults. Feedback from American Indian community member participants identified feelings of approval about the way their community leaders responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and also noted positive relationships with their primary care providers and the Tribal health system as main motivators for receiving the vaccine.