Engaging Youth and Young Adults in the COVID-19 Pandemic Response via the "It's Our Turn" Crowdsourcing Contest.

As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic continued to progress into 2021, appeals were made to take a stronger focus on the perceptions and practices of youth and young adults (YYAs) regarding COVID-19 mitigation, as well as the impact of mitigation strategies on the overall wellbeing of YYAs. In this paper, we describe our efforts to increase YYA engagement in Arizona's COVID-19 response by pairing embedded values from youth participatory action research (YPAR) with a crowdsourcing challenge contest design. The research protocol and implementation are described, followed by a thematic analysis of YYA-led messaging portrayed in 23 contest submissions and reflections formed by 223 community voters after viewing contest submissions. The authors conclude that a YYA-led crowdsourcing contest presented an opportunity to (a.) investigate the perceptions and behaviors of YYAs and their networks regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigation efforts and (b.) amplify the voices of YYAs in the pandemic response. Perhaps even more importantly, this approach also offered insight into the exacerbated impact of the pandemic on YYA mental health and wellbeing, and the utility of YPAR in raising awareness of these effects among the contexts and social networks of YYAs.

Vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 immunization among rural young adults.

Rural young adults may be more averse to receiving a COVID-19 immunization than urban young adults. We aimed to assess differences in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy for rural, compared with urban, young adults and characterize modifiable factors. This cross-sectional online survey collected demographic data, vaccination attitudes, and COVID-19 impacts from 2937 young adults, ages 18-26 years, across the western U.S. from October 2020 to April 2021. Rurality was determined by participants' zip code and classified using the rural and urban continuum codes (RUCC). Multivariable logistic regression described adjusted (age, gender, race and ethnicity, being a current student, and month of survey) odds of self-reported intent to receive the COVID-19 vaccination by rurality. Mediation analysis was used to decompose total effects into average direct effects and average causal mediation (indirect) effects. Rural participants had 40% lower odds than urban participants of intending to receive the COVID-19 vaccine after adjustments (adjusted odds ratio, 0.62 [95% CI, 0.50-0.76]). The direct effect remained (P < 0.001), but was mediated by both education (8.3%, P < 0.001) and month in which the survey was taken (23.5%, P < 0.001). We observed a divergence after December 2020 in vaccination intent between rural and urban young adults that widened over time. Hesitancy to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was greater among rural, compared with urban young adults, and grew disproportionally after December 2020. Mediation by whether one was a current student or not suggests differences in sources of information for vaccination decision-making, and highlights areas for addressing vaccine hesitancy.

COVID-19 and disconnected youth: Lessons and opportunities from OECD countries.

AIMS: This paper highlights how the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has amplified economic instability and health risks for disconnected youth and young adults (YYA). We offer a brief review of governmental policy responses in four OECD countries and how they may impact the disconnect YYA within those countries. METHODS: Literature was reviewed utilizing Cochrane Library, ERIC, PsychINFO, PubMed/MEDLINE and Web of Science to outline existing inequities among disconnected YYA and COVID-19 economic and health impacts. Government responses to COVID-19 from four OECD countries were reviewed. Using the social protection model, we highlighted significant policy changes and developments that influence the protection of vulnerable populations and evaluated the potential effect of long-term economic dislocations prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Disconnected YYA suffered significant financial and health burdens with no social protection floor in place. Lessons learned prior to and during the pandemic indicate that initiatives aimed at improving health and well-being among vulnerable YYA and their communities must be adequately funded, flexible, and comprehensive. Attempts to connect or reconnect YYA who were disconnected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic will require a re-envisioning of policy. CONCLUSIONS: Globally, governments must invest in social safety net programs that focus on supporting those most at-risk. A concentrated focus on job creation, education and training, and paid work experience, investments in early childhood care and education, housing, health and mental health care is necessary to not only offset the pandemic's effects but also support thriving in the future for YYA.

Perceived Health Problems of Young Single-Person Households in Housing Poverty Living in Seoul, South Korea: A Qualitative Study.

There is an increased prevalence of housing poverty among urban young adults; however, research on housing poverty and health is lacking. This study examined the effects of housing poverty on the health concepts of young people living alone. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 single-person households, with individuals aged 19-39 years, living in Seoul, the demographic group with the highest housing poverty rate in South Korea. Data were analyzed using the constant comparison method. Based on the health concepts of the respondents, housing poverty negatively affected health in terms of "the occurrence and continuation of anxiety," "the increase and continuation of lethargy," "the difficulty in managing daily life and taking care of health," "the lack of a dependable support person," and "the difficulty in preventing and treating disease." The majority of young people experienced difficulties responding to their situations, and their housing poverty was hard to overcome. This study suggests the need to expand healthy housing policies, strengthen housing safety nets, and enhance access to public resources needed for a healthy living.