Peripartum women's perspectives on research study participation in the OneFlorida Clinical Research Consortium during COVID-19 pandemic.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented need for population-level clinical trials focused on the discovery of life-saving therapies and treatments. However, there is limited information on perception of research participation among perinatal populations, a population of particular interest during the pandemic. Methods: Eligible respondents were 18 years or older, were currently pregnant or had an infant (≤12 months old), and lived in Florida within 50 miles of sites participating in the OneFlorida Clinical Research Consortium. Respondents were recruited via Qualtrics panels between April and September 2020. Respondents completed survey items about barriers and facilitators to participation and answered sociodemographic questions. Results: Of 533 respondents, most were between 25 and 34 years of age (n = 259, 49%) and identified as White (n = 303, 47%) and non-Hispanic (n = 344, 65%). Facebook was the most popular social media platform among our respondents. The most common barriers to research participation included poor explanation of study goals, discomforts to the infant, and time commitment. Recruitment through healthcare providers was perceived as the best way to learn about clinical research studies. When considering research participation, "myself" had the greatest influence, followed by familial ties. Noninvasive biological samples were highly acceptable. Hispanics had higher positive perspectives on willingness to participate in a randomized study (p = 0.009). Education (p = 0.007) had significant effects on willingness to release personal health information. Conclusion: When recruiting women during the pregnancy and postpartum periods for perinatal studies, investigators should consider protocols that account for common barriers and preferred study information sources. Social media-based recruitment is worthy of adoption.

What did the pandemic teach us about effective health communication? Unpacking the COVID-19 infodemic.

BACKGROUND: The spread of unvetted scientific information about COVID-19 presents a significant challenge to public health, adding to the urgency for increased understanding of COVID-19 information-seeking preferences that will allow for the delivery of evidence-based health communication. This study examined factors associated with COVID-19 information-seeking behavior. METHODS: An online survey was conducted with US adults (N = 1800) to identify key interpersonal (e.g., friends, health care providers) and mediated (e.g., TV, social media) sources of COVID-19 information. Logistic regression models were fitted to explore correlates of information-seeking. RESULTS: Study findings show that the first sought and most trusted sources of COVID-19 information had different relationships with sociodemographic characteristics, perceived discrimination, and self-efficacy. Older adults had greater odds of seeking information from print materials (e.g., newspapers and magazines) and TV first. Participants with less educational attainment and greater self-efficacy preferred interpersonal sources first, with notably less preference for mass media compared to health care providers. Those with more experiences with discrimination were more likely to seek information from friends, relatives, and co-workers. Additionally, greater self-efficacy was related to increased trust in interpersonal sources. CONCLUSION: Study results have implications for tailoring health communication strategies to reach specific subgroups, including those more vulnerable to severe illness from COVID-19. A set of recommendations are provided to assist in campaign development.

Can virtual human clinicians help close the gap in colorectal cancer screening for rural adults in the United States? The influence of rural identity on perceptions of virtual human clinicians.

Rural adults experience disparities in colorectal cancer screening, a trend even more distinct among rural Black adults. Healthcare disruptions caused by COVID-19 exacerbated inequities, heightening attention on virtual communication strategies to increase screening. Yet little is known about how rural adults perceive virtual human clinicians (VHCs). Given that identifying as rural influences perceived source credibility often through appearance judgments, the goal of this pilot was to explore how to develop VHCs that individuals highly identified with rurality find attractive. Between November 2018 and April 2019, we tested a culturally tailored, VHC-led telehealth intervention delivering evidence-based colorectal cancer prevention education with White and Black adults (N = 2079) in the United States recruited through an online panel who were non-adherent to screening guidelines and between 50 and 73 years of age. Participants were randomized on three factors (VHC race-matching, VHC gender-matching, Intervention type). Ordinal logistic regression models examined VHC appearance ratings. Participants with a high rural identity (AOR = 1.12, CI = [1.02, 1.23], p =.02) rated the VHCs more attractive. High rural belonging influenced VHC attractiveness for Black participants (AOR = 1.22, CI = [1.03, 1.44], p =.02). Also, Black participants interacting with a Black VHC and reporting high rural self-concept rated the VHC as more attractive (AOR = 2.22, CI = [1.27, 3.91], p =.01). Findings suggest adults for whom rural identity is important have more positive impressions of VHC attractiveness. For patients with strong rural identities, enhancing VHC appearance is critical to tailoring colorectal cancer prevention interventions.