The COVID-19 Vaccine and the Black Community: Addressing the Justified Questions

Racial and Demographic Disparities in Susceptibility to Health Misinformation on Social Media: National Survey-Based Analysis

BACKGROUND

Social media platforms have transformed the dissemination of health information, allowing for rapid and widespread sharing of content. However, alongside valuable medical knowledge, these platforms have also become channels for the spread of health misinformation, including false claims and misleading advice, which can lead to significant public health risks. Susceptibility to health misinformation varies and is influenced by individuals' cultural, social, and personal backgrounds, further complicating efforts to combat its spread.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the extent to which individuals report encountering health-related misinformation on social media and to assess how racial, ethnic, and sociodemographic factors influence susceptibility to such misinformation.

METHODS

Data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS; Cycle 6), conducted by the National Cancer Institute with 5041 US adults between March and November 2022, was used to explore associations between racial and sociodemographic factors (age, gender, race/ethnicity, annual household income, marital status, and location) and susceptibility variables, including encounters with misleading health information on social media, difficulty in assessing information truthfulness, discussions with health providers, and making health decisions based on such information.

RESULTS

Over 35.61% (1740/4959) of respondents reported encountering "a lot" of misleading health information on social media, with an additional 45% (2256/4959) reporting seeing "some" amount of health misinformation. Racial disparities were evident in comparison with Whites, with non-Hispanic Black (odds ratio [OR] 0.45, 95% CI 0.33-0.6, P<.01) and Hispanic (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.41-0.71, P<.01) individuals reporting lower odds of finding deceptive information, while Hispanic (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.48-1.98, P<.05) and non-Hispanic Asian (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.21-3.18, P<.01) individuals exhibited higher odds in having difficulties in assessing the veracity of health information found on social media. Hispanic and Asian individuals were more likely to discuss with providers and make health decisions based on social media information. Older adults aged ≥75 years exhibited challenges in assessing health information on social media (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.43-0.93, P<.01), while younger adults (18-34) showed increased vulnerability to health misinformation. In addition, income levels were linked to higher exposure to health misinformation on social media: individuals with annual household incomes between US $50,000 and US $75,000 (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.14-2.68, P<.01), and greater than US $75,000 (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.20-2.66, P<.01) exhibited greater odds, revealing complexities in decision-making and information access.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the pervasive presence of health misinformation on social media, revealing vulnerabilities across racial, age, and income groups, underscoring the need for tailored interventions.

The Shift: COVID-19-Associated Deaths are Now Trending Lower Among Blacks and Hispanics Compared to Whites

BACKGROUND

Throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, research revealed people of color were more likely to be infected, have severe illness, and die due to the virus. However, some areas in the USA are now reporting a new shift; lower Black and Hispanic COVID-19 mortality rates compared to their White counterparts. Research indicates that this shift is the result of COVID-19's impact on disparities by race. In this paper, we analyze death data to determine if the new shift has occurred locally. Specifically, we examined COVID-19 prevalence and related death data in Connecticut by comparing race/ethnicity through two periods of time: one before and one after the first case of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

METHODS

This cross-sectional epidemiological analysis to examine cases and deaths by racial/ethnic status utilizes Connecticut data from March 2020 to February 2022. The following assumption is applied: expected pre-Omicron cases and deaths from March 5, 2020 to November 27, 2021 are equal to the number of cases and deaths during Omicron cases and deaths from November 28, 2021 to February 17, 2022. Race/ethnicity are operationalized as non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic.

RESULTS

Pre-Omicron (March 5, 2020 to November 27, 2021) compared to the monthly aged adjusted COVID-19 case rate for Whites (394/10,000 populations), Blacks had a higher rate (501/10,000 populations), and Hispanics had the highest (585/10,000 populations). During the Omicron period (November 28 to February 17, 2022), significant changes in COVID-19 case rates were observed in all three ethnic groups, but the biggest changes were observed in Hispanics, followed by Blacks, and then Whites. The rate ratios further showed a remarkable reduction of 47% in case rates (from 1.0 pre-Omicron and from 1.47 during Omicron, p < 0.0001) for Hispanics, when compared to that of Whites. While Blacks showed a significant, smaller reduction of 5% in case rates (from 1.27 pre-Omicron and from 1.22 during the Omicron, p < 0.001) when compared to Whites. Regarding COVID-19-related mortality, the racial differences were similar.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

By examining Connecticut's COVID-19 death and case data, this study identified the new shift that occurred locally. The current shift may be anchored in the evolution of the COVID-19 virus, public health guidelines/policies, and the degree to which populations have complied with public health recommendations.

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in State-Level COVID-19 Vaccination Rates and Their Association with Structural Racism

INTRODUCTION

Racial disparities in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality have been well-documented. However, there may also be racial disparities in COVID-19 vaccination rates which, if present, would further exacerbate the existing disparities. No previously published articles have identified and quantified potential racial disparities in vaccination throughout the USA at any geography lower than the national level.

METHODS

Using data compiled from state health departments, we calculated racial disparities in COVID-19 vaccination for the Black and Hispanic populations compared to the White population in each state. We explored the relationship between a state-level index of structural racism and the observed differences in the racial disparities in COVID-19 vaccination across states for both the Black and Hispanic populations by conducting linear regression analyses.

RESULTS

Racial disparities in COVID-19 vaccination were present for both the Black and Hispanic populations in the overwhelming majority of states. There were vast differences between the states in the magnitude of the racial disparity in race-specific vaccination rates. These differences were largely explained by differences in the level of structural racism in each state. The relationship between structural racism and the racial disparities in vaccination was not entirely explained by racial differences in vaccine hesitancy or political affiliation.

CONCLUSIONS

There are marked racial disparities in COVID-19 vaccination throughout the USA, and structural racism is strongly associated with the magnitude of these disparities. Efforts to reduce these disparities must address not only individual behavior but must also confront the structural barriers that are inhibiting equitable vaccine distribution.