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Kandasamy S, Chabrotra R, Khan Z, Rana D, Suddle N, Desai D, Khan F, Nocos R, Lear SA, Anand SS. Engaging Participants Through Hybrid Community-Centered Approaches: Lessons Learned During the COVID CommUNITY Public Health Research Program. Health Promot Pract 2024:15248399231221161. [PMID: 38180006 DOI: 10.1177/15248399231221161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Community-centered research studies can improve trust, cultural appropriateness, and accurate findings through meaningful, in-depth engagement with participants. During the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers shifted to implement pandemic-specific guidelines on top of already existing safety practices; these adjustments gave insight into bettering the structure of forthcoming research studies. At the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI)/McMaster University, the COVID CommUNITY study staff took field notes from their experience at the Ontario (ON) and British Columbia (BC) sites navigating an observational prospective cohort study during the pandemic. These field notes are outlined below to provide insight into culturally responsive, trust-centered, and communication-focused strategies used to improve hybrid research. A significant challenge the team overcame was obtaining blood sample collections by executing socially distanced sample collections outside of participants' homes, coined "Porch Pickups." Data collection was made more accessible through phone surveys and frequent virtual contact. To enhance recruitment strategies for sub-communities of the South Asian population, staff focused on cultural interests and "gift-exchange" incentives. Cultural awareness was prioritized through correct name pronunciation, conducting data collection in participant preferred languages, and using flexible approaches to data collection. These strategies were developed through weekly team meetings where improvement strategies were discussed, and concerns were addressed in real-time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujane Kandasamy
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Riddhi Chabrotra
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Health Research, Methods, Evidence & Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zainab Khan
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dania Rana
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Noor Suddle
- Department of Health Research, Methods, Evidence & Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dipika Desai
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Farah Khan
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rochelle Nocos
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Scott A Lear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sonia S Anand
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Health Research, Methods, Evidence & Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Kandasamy S, Manoharan B, Khan Z, Stennett R, Desai D, Nocos R, Wahi G, Banner D, de Souza RJ, Lear SA, Anand SS. Perceptions of COVID-19 risk, vaccine access and confidence: a qualitative description of South Asians in Canada. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e070433. [PMID: 37015794 PMCID: PMC10083522 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In the first full year of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020), South Asians living in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and Greater Vancouver area (GVA) experienced specific barriers to accessing SARS-CoV-2 testing and reliable health information. However, between June 2021 and February 2022, the proportion of people having received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose was higher among this group (96%) than among individuals who were not visible minorities (93%). A better understanding of successful approaches and the challenges experienced by those who remain unvaccinated among this highly vaccinated group may improve public health outreach in subsequent waves of the current pandemic or for future pandemic planning. Using qualitative methods, we sought to explore the perceptions of COVID-19 risk, vaccine access, uptake and confidence among South Asians living in Canada. DESIGN Semistructured interviews conducted with 25 participants analysed using thematic analysis. Throughout this process, we held frequent discussions with members of the study's advisory group to guide data collection (community engagement, recruitment and data analysis). SETTING Communities of the GTHA and GVA with interviews conducted virtually over Zoom or telephone. PARTICIPANTS 25 participants (15 from Ontario and 10 from British Columbia) were interviewed between July 2021 and January 2022. 10 individuals were community members, 9 were advocacy group leaders and 6 were public health staff. RESULTS Access to and confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine was impacted by individual risk perceptions; sources of trusted information (ethnic and non-ethnic); impact of COVID-19 and the pandemic on individuals, families and society; and experiences with COVID-19 mandates and policies (including temporal and generational differences). Approaches that include community-level awareness and tailored outreach (language and cultural context) were considered successful. CONCLUSIONS Understanding factors and developing strategies that build vaccine confidence and improve access can guide approaches that increase vaccine acceptance in the current and future pandemics.Visual abstract can be found at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iXdnJj9ssc3hXCllZxP0QA9DhHH-7uwB/view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujane Kandasamy
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence & Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Baanu Manoharan
- Master of Public Health (MPH) Program, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zainab Khan
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rosain Stennett
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence & Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Dipika Desai
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rochelle Nocos
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gita Wahi
- Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Davina Banner
- School of Nursing, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Russell J de Souza
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence & Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Scott A Lear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sonia S Anand
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence & Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Cheng T, Horbay B, Nocos R, Lutes L, Lear SA. The Role of Tailored Public Health Messaging to Young Adults during COVID-19: "There's a lot of ambiguity around what it means to be safe". PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258121. [PMID: 34597332 PMCID: PMC8486094 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 global incidence rate among young adults (age 19-40) drastically increased since summer 2020, and young adults were often portrayed by popular media as the "main spreader" of the pandemic. However, young adults faced unique challenges during the pandemic due to working in high-risk, low-paying essential service occupations, as well as having higher levels of financial insecurity and mental burden. This qualitative study aims to examine the attitudes and perceptions of health orders of young adults to better inform public health messaging to reach this demographic and increase compliance to public health orders. A total of 50 young adults residing in British Columbia, Canada, were recruited to participate in focus group in groups of four to six. Focus group discussions were conducted via teleconferencing. Thematic analysis revealed four major themes: 1) risks of contracting the disease, 2) the perceived impact of COVID-19, 3) responsibility of institutions, 4) and effective public health messaging. Contrary to existing literature, our findings suggest young adults feel highly responsible for protecting themselves and others. They face a higher risk of depression and anxiety compared to other age groups, especially when they take on multiple social roles such as caregivers and parents. Our findings suggest young adults face confusion due to inconsistent messaging and are not reached due to the ineffectiveness of existing strategies. We recommend using evidence-based strategies proven to promote behaviour change to address the barriers identified by young adults through tailoring public health messages, specifically by using positive messaging, messaging that considers the context of the intended audiences, and utilizing digital platforms to facilitate two-way communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Cheng
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Community Health Research Team, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Braxtyn Horbay
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre of Obesity and Well-being Research Excellence, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Rochelle Nocos
- Community Health Research Team, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lesley Lutes
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre of Obesity and Well-being Research Excellence, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Scott A. Lear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Division of Cardiology, Providence Health Care, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Budu MO, Rugel EJ, Nocos R, Teo K, Rangarajan S, Lear SA. Psychological Impact of COVID-19 on People with Pre-Existing Chronic Disease. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:5972. [PMID: 34199516 PMCID: PMC8199726 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18115972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an increase in anxiety and depression levels across broad populations. While anyone can be infected by the virus, the presence of certain chronic diseases has been shown to exacerbate the severity of the infection. There is a likelihood that knowledge of this information may lead to negative psychological impacts among people with chronic illness. We hypothesized that the pandemic has resulted in increased levels of anxiety and depression symptoms among people with chronic illness. We recruited 540 participants from the ongoing Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study in British Columbia, Canada. Participants were asked to fill out an online survey that included the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) to assess anxiety and depression symptoms. We tested our hypothesis using bivariate and multivariable linear regression models. Out of 540 participants, 15% showed symptoms of anxiety and 17% reported symptoms of depression. We found no significant associations between having a pre-existing chronic illness and reporting higher levels of anxiety or depression symptoms during COVID-19. Our results do not support the hypothesis that having a chronic illness is associated with greater anxiety or depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results were similar to one study but in contrast with other studies that found a positive association between the presence of chronic illness and developing anxiety or depression during this pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Owusu Budu
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada; (E.J.R.); (R.N.); (S.A.L.)
- Community Health Research Team, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Emily J. Rugel
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada; (E.J.R.); (R.N.); (S.A.L.)
- Westmead Applied Research Centre (WARC), The University of Sydney, 2145 Sydney, Australia
| | - Rochelle Nocos
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada; (E.J.R.); (R.N.); (S.A.L.)
- Community Health Research Team, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Koon Teo
- Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, ON L8L 2X2, Canada; (K.T.); (S.R.)
| | - Sumathy Rangarajan
- Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, ON L8L 2X2, Canada; (K.T.); (S.R.)
| | - Scott A. Lear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada; (E.J.R.); (R.N.); (S.A.L.)
- Community Health Research Team, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada
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